Prospect Place facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Prospect Place
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | S of Trinway on OH 77, Trinway, Ohio |
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| Area | 4 Acres |
| Built | 1856 |
| Architect | Blackburn, George |
| Architectural style | Italianate/Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 79001913 |
| Added to NRHP | May 10, 1979 |
Prospect Place, also known as The Trinway Mansion, is a large 29-room house built in 1856. It was constructed by a man named George Willison Adams, who was an abolitionist. An abolitionist was someone who worked to end slavery. The mansion is located in Trinway, Ohio, near Dresden, Ohio.
Today, Prospect Place is home to the G. W. Adams Educational Center, Inc. This is a non-profit group that helps people learn about the mansion's history. The house is also recognized as a special historical place. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also on the Ohio Underground Railroad Association's list of Underground Railroad sites. The Underground Railroad was a secret network that helped enslaved people find freedom.
This mansion was very modern for its time. It had indoor plumbing, which was rare back then. A large copper tank on the second floor held water. This tank used pressure to send water all over the house. Two coal stoves heated water in other copper tanks. This meant the house had both hot and cold running water!
Prospect Place also had a special way to keep food cool. It used a unique refrigeration system for milk, cheese, and butter. It even had an early form of "air conditioning." Cool air from the basement was brought into the living areas through ducts in the walls during summer.
This house is actually the second one built on the same spot. The first house burned down shortly after it was finished. When the mansion was rebuilt, special features were added to prevent fires. The inside walls are made of solid brick. There is also a two-inch layer of mortar between the first and second floors to help stop fires.
Contents
George Willison Adams: A Life of Impact
George Willison Adams, often called G. W. Adams, was born in Virginia in 1799. His family moved to Ohio in 1808. They freed their enslaved people and settled near Dresden, Ohio. Like his father, G. W. Adams strongly believed that slavery was wrong.
Adams' Role in the Underground Railroad
G. W. Adams and his brother, Edward, ran an Underground Railroad "station." This was a safe place for enslaved people seeking freedom. They operated a flour mill and other businesses in Dresden, Ohio. When their company's boats traveled to New Orleans, they would secretly bring freedom seekers back to Ohio. These brave people would hide below the decks of the boats.
Adams' Public Service and Business Ventures
G. W. Adams was an important person in Ohio. He served in the Ohio General Assembly, which is like the state's government. He also helped build a suspension bridge across the Muskingum River near Dresden. At first, others were afraid to invest in the bridge. So, Adams built it himself! His nephew, George Copeland, was the engineer for the project. This bridge was a toll bridge for many years. Adams later sold it to the county.
Later in his life, Adams was the President of the Steubenville and Indiana Railroad. He also oversaw the building of the Cincinnati and Muskingum Valley Railroad. He owned a lot of land, about 14,500 acres. Prospect Place Mansion was right in the middle of his property.
G. W. Adams was a key figure in Ohio's history. He was involved in politics, the Underground Railroad, and developing the area. Because of his importance, Prospect Place Mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
G. W. Adams was married twice and had many children. He passed away at his home in 1879 when he was 79 years old. He is buried in Dresden Cemetery.
Prospect Place: A Journey Through Time
After G. W. Adams passed away, the mansion stayed in the Adams-Cox family for many years. George Cox, a grandson of G. W. Adams, owned the property until the 1960s.
Saving the Mansion from Ruin
In 1969, the house was sold to Eugene Cox (no relation to the family). His company mined gravel on the land around the mansion. Over time, the mansion started to fall apart. It was not maintained, and people broke in and damaged the inside. The house was even scheduled to be torn down in 1988.
Luckily, a local businessman named Dave Longaberger bought the house. He wanted to save it from being destroyed. He put a new roof on the mansion and improved security. He thought about making it the headquarters for his company, the Longaberger Basket Company. However, he decided to build the new headquarters in a different city. The mansion's restoration was put on hold.
Dave Longaberger passed away in the 1990s. His company continued to keep the property secure until 2001. Then, some private investors bought the mansion. They planned to fix it up and turn it into a restaurant and bed and breakfast. But their plans didn't work out.
The G. W. Adams Educational Center Today
In 2003, a non-profit organization called the G. W. Adams Educational Center, Inc., was started. This group now owns and operates Prospect Place Mansion. The center focuses on the history of the mansion, G. W. Adams, and the Underground Railroad activities that happened there.
The mansion is open for free tours on weekends from March to November. You can visit between 12 PM and 4 PM.
Some people believe the building is haunted. It has even been featured on TV shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, and Ghost Brothers.
In 2017, the original chairman of the G. W. Adams Educational Center retired. A new group of trustees took over. They have continued the important work of repairing and restoring this historic mansion.
See also
- George W. Adams House, another historic home built in 1842, also on the National Register.
