Hancock Historical Museum facts for kids
The Hull-Flater House
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| Former name | Hull-Flater House |
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| Established | 1970 |
| Location | 422 West Sandusky Street Findlay, Ohio |
| Type | History of Ohio |
The Hancock Historical Museum is a cool place in Findlay, Ohio. It helps keep the history of Hancock County, Ohio alive! This museum is a non-profit group, meaning it's not trying to make money. It's located in the old Hull-Flater House on West Sandusky Street. The museum is also part of the Ohio Local History Alliance.
Contents
Discovering the Past: The Museum's Story
The Hancock Historical Museum first opened its doors in 1971. It was founded in 1970 to save important local history.
In 1972, something special happened. The Little Red Schoolhouse was given to the museum. Retired teachers helped fix it up.
Later, in 1985, the museum added more space. This new area allowed for more exhibits and meetings. A barn was also added to the property. Two old houses, the Crawford Log House and the Davis Homestead, were moved to the museum site.
The museum has hosted fun events like Historic Barn Tours. These tours showed off old barns from the 1850s to early 1900s. The museum also worked with the University of Findlay on a project about farming history.
Exploring the Collections
The Sandusky Street Campus: A Glimpse into History
The main museum area is on Sandusky Street. Here you'll find the Hull-Flater House. This big Victorian house was built around 1881. It has seventeen rooms spread over two floors.
Many rooms in the Hull-Flater House look just like they did long ago. You can see old parlors, bedrooms, and even playrooms. It's like stepping back in time!
Other historic buildings are also on the property. These include the Crawford Log House, built in Biglick Township. There's also the Davis Homestead, which was built in 1842. The De-Wald Funk House, from the 1860s, is here too.
The museum has many permanent exhibits. You can learn about the Indiana Gas Boom of the 1880s. There are also displays on Findlay Glass, the American Civil War, and World War II.
Behind the Hull-Flater House, a barn shows exhibits about farm life. It also covers how people traveled in Hancock County long ago. The museum also has special rotating exhibits. These often show things about social life and businesses in Findlay.
The museum keeps a large collection of old documents and records. These are called archives. Anyone can use these archives for research during museum hours.
The Little Red Schoolhouse: Learning from the Past
The Little Red Schoolhouse is a special part of the museum. It's a one-room schoolhouse from the 1800s. You can find it on County Road 236.
This schoolhouse was built in 1882. It taught children until it closed in 1936. After closing, it was used to store grain. Then, it became part of the museum.
Today, the schoolhouse looks just like it did back then. It has old oil lamps and a stove for heat. Outside, you'll see outhouses and a hand pump for water. The museum offers tours of the schoolhouse. They also have special programs for local students to experience what school was like long ago.
The Riverside Train: A Ride Through Time
The Hancock Historical Museum also takes care of the Riverside Train. This is a miniature train that used to be at Riverside Park. It's a ridable streamliner locomotive with cars.
The train was built in the 1930s. It moved to Riverside Park in 1951 from Toledo. It stopped running in 1977. But it was fixed up in 1998 and now runs again! You can find it on County Road 236.
