Heritage Village Museum facts for kids

Heritage Village Museum is like a time machine! It's a special place in southwestern Ohio, USA, that shows what a community was like in the 1800s. There are 13 old buildings here, all moved from different parts of the Cincinnati area. They were brought to the village to keep them safe from being torn down. You can find this amazing village inside Sharon Woods Park in Sharonville, Ohio. It's open all year for you to explore on your own!

Exploring Historic Buildings

The Heritage Village Museum has many cool old buildings. Each one tells a story about life in the 1800s.

Hayner House: A Grand Farmhouse

• The Hayner House was built in 1852. It's a beautiful example of Greek Revival architecture. This style often has tall columns, like those on ancient Greek temples.
• This house once had seven fireplaces on the first floor! It was originally located near the Little Miami River in Warren County, Ohio.
• A man named John Hayner bought the house in 1862. He made his living by growing and drying corn.
• Later, he even started a business canning corn. The house was moved to Heritage Village in 1967 and carefully rebuilt.

Elk Lick House: A Country Home

• The Elk Lick House is from Clermont County, Ohio. It's an example of Carpenter Gothic architecture, which means it has decorative wooden details.
• The oldest part of the house was built around 1818. A fancier front section was added in the 1840s.
• This house was going to be torn down to make way for a park. But a group called the Miami Purchase Association saved it in 1969.

Chester Park Train Station: Travel by Train

• This train station shows off Italianate architecture, a style popular in the mid-1800s.
• In the 1800s, trains became a super important way to travel and move goods. People used them to visit other towns or commute to the city.
• The station was built near a racetrack called Chester Park. So many people came to the park that the station had to be made bigger in 1879.
• This larger station is the one you can see at Heritage Village today.

Benedict Cottage: A Worker's Home

• The Benedict Cottage is an example of Federal architecture, an early American style. It was built as a small home for a worker.
• It was once located along Mill Creek and later became a caretaker's home.
• In 1997, the cottage was moved to Heritage Village. Now, it helps visitors learn about how people made textiles (like cloth) in the 1800s.

Vorhes House: A Typical Farmhouse

• The Vorhes House is another Federal style building. It's a good example of a typical farmhouse from the 1820s or 1830s in the Cincinnati area.
• It was moved from Blue Ash, Ohio. This house is well-built and has two fireplaces on each floor.
• It even has two staircases!

Kemper House: A Pioneer's Log Home

• The Kemper House was built in 1804 by James and Judith Kemper. It came from the Walnut Hills area of Cincinnati.
• Reverend James Kemper was an important early minister in Ohio.
• This building is more than just a simple cabin. It has plastered walls, a staircase, and wood trim, making it a proper house for its time.
• The Kemper family lived here for many years before it was moved to the Cincinnati Zoo in 1912.

Somerset Church: A Place of Worship

• The Somerset Church was built around 1829. It was originally located in Deerfield Township.
• This church has a long history, starting with the Montgomery Presbyterian Church in 1801.
• The church building has been restored to look like it did long ago. It's used for special events and helps show how important faith was to early settlers.
• Interestingly, the Kemper Log House now sits right next to the Somerset Church at Heritage Village.

Langdon Medical Office: A Doctor's Office

• This building is an example of Steamboat Gothic architecture from the 1850s.
• It was the office of Dr. Henry A. Langdon, a doctor who served during the Civil War.
• Dr. Langdon practiced medicine here from 1865 to 1876.
• At the museum, you can see 19th-century medical tools and learn about how doctors worked back then. The office had to be taken apart and put back together to move it.

Fetter General Store: Shopping in the 1800s

• The Fetter General Store is from Boston, Ohio (now called Owensville). It was built in the 1860s.
• General stores were like today's supermarkets, but much smaller! They sold everything from food to tools.
• The museum acquired this store in 1983. Its outside has been restored, and it's used for educational programs.

Schram Printing Company: Making Books and Papers

• The Schram Printing Company building at the village is a replica, meaning it's a copy of an original print shop.
• It was built to hold a collection of old printing presses and letter trays donated by the Schram family.
• This exhibit helps visitors understand how newspapers and books were printed in the past.

Gatch Barn: A Farm Building

• The Gatch Barn is believed to be one of the oldest barns from Clermont County, Ohio.
• It came from the Gatch family farm. Barns were essential for farmers to store crops and house animals.

Myers Schoolhouse: One-Room School

• The Myers Schoolhouse is a classic one-room schoolhouse. It was built in 1891.
• It was moved from Delhi Township, Ohio.
• Imagine all the students, from different ages, learning together in just one room!