Mount Pleasant Historic District (Mt. Pleasant, Ohio) facts for kids
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Mount Pleasant Historic District
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Along Union Street in the district
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | Mount Pleasant, Ohio |
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| Area | 54 acres (22 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001536 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 28, 1974 |
| Designated NHLD | April 5, 2005 |
The Mount Pleasant Historic District is a special place in Mount Pleasant, Ohio. It's like a time capsule of an old village. This village was started in 1803 by a group called Quakers. These Quakers were strongly against slavery.
Mount Pleasant became a very important spot for people escaping slavery. It was a well-known safe place on the Underground Railroad. The village looks much like it did before the American Civil War. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In 2005, it was named a National Historic Landmark.
A Village with a Purpose
The town of Mount Pleasant was founded in 1803. Robert Carothers and Jesse Thomas started it. Jesse Thomas was a Quaker from North Carolina. Many Quakers from North Carolina moved here. They wanted a place where enslaved people could be free.
The town was planned out in 1804. Its original streets, like Union and Concord, are still there today. The town grew as a supply center during the War of 1812. In the 1820s, it had shops and homes. Now, it's mostly a place where people live. A famous building is the Friends Meetinghouse. Quakers built it in 1814. It was the first big Quaker meeting place west of the Allegheny Mountains.
A Safe Stop on the Underground Railroad
Mount Pleasant played a huge role in the fight against slavery. The Quakers living there spoke out against slavery. They also published books and papers against it. One famous paper was "Genius of Universal Emancipation" by Benjamin Lundy.
The town was a "station" on the Underground Railroad. This meant it was a safe stop for people escaping slavery. It was also a welcoming home for free Black people. Residents built a school just for free Black children. In 1848, they opened a special store. It was called a Free Produce Store. This store only sold items not made by enslaved people.
Black and white people lived together in the village. Many African Americans worked as servants. Some also owned land, usually on the edges of the town. After the American Civil War ended, the town's growth slowed down. This was because railroads bypassed Mount Pleasant.
