Mt. Pleasant Annual Historical Tour

Cruise-in Added to Historic Mt. Pleasant Annual Tour
The Mt. Pleasant Historical Society’s Annual Tour will be held Saturday, August 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, August 2, 2026, from 1 to 5 p.m. This year, in addition to tours of historic buildings and homes in the National Historic Landmark District, the Society is bringing back its cruise-in on Saturday, August 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Irish Ridge Farm, one mile south of town. Irish Ridge Farm will feature more than 75 antique tractors and trucks, along with extensive flower beds, an 1835 cabin, an 1849 post-and-pin barn, and a home with a post-and-pin kitchen and quilt collection.
Wess Sutton will also be on site with his working 1823 chuck wagon, demonstrating primitive cooking methods. Visitors can learn about the early American cowboys who helped supply food to major East Coast cities in the young country and discover why places such as Central Park and Boston Common came into being.
For the first time, the Shumard House will be open to visitors. The home features beautifully carved plaster ceilings and black marble fireplace mantels. Guests can also enjoy the restored front porch, a welcoming place to sit, visit with neighbors, and take in the view.
Also new this year, the Jefferson County Genealogical Society will be stationed in the Mt. Pleasant Historical Center to assist visitors interested in tracing their family roots.
The popular quilt show will be held at the Quaker Meeting House and will feature quilts made by longtime Society supporter Carolyn Call, along with work by other local quilters. The impressive 60-by-90-foot Meeting House, built in 1814 and believed to be the first of its kind west of the Allegheny Mountains, is still a favorite stop for visitors interested in Quaker history.
West Wind Cottage, the private home of Dr. Wayne and Annette Butler, will also be open. Built around an original 1830 log structure, the cottage includes 6 1/2-foot ceilings and narrow spiral staircases. The home is surrounded by classic gardens, flowers, a goldfish pond, a vegetable garden, and a newly installed water fountain. Visitors are invited to tour the house, relax on the deck or in the gazebo, and enjoy the landscaping and secret garden.
Gary Reynard’s home was once two separate houses. Built in 1830 and joined in 1910, the home features stairs and hallways that connect the rooms and give it distinctive character, complemented by lovely antiques and rich colors. Nearby, the Seceder Cemetery dates to the founding of Mt. Pleasant Village on September 27, 1803. Several Revolutionary War and Civil War veterans’ graves will be marked there, as well as in Highland Cemetery behind the Methodist Church. Mike DiCenzo will be available in the Quaker Meeting House with additional information about the veterans interred there.
At the Methodist Church, visitors can view a collection of aprons. Across the street, the Presbyterian Church will be open for guests to admire its beautiful stained-glass windows, each depicting a story from the life of Christ.
The Mercer House, owned by Tom Haynes, will be open and will showcase a beautiful collection of antique and custom-built furniture produced in Mt. Pleasant or nearby Dillonvale. Upstairs, visitors will find a time capsule of Burris family history, including spool beds, a hatbox collection, a 1795 blanket chest, and a working salesman’s sample cook stove.
The tour will also include several traditional buildings. The Harris-Bone Log Store, built in 1804 by abolitionist Enoch Harris, is the oldest known structure in Mount Pleasant. Paige’s Pieces will offer handcrafted quilted items and homemade fudge there. The Elizabeth House, built in 1835 by John Gill, is where he began a silk mill; today, it is filled with period antique furniture, glassware, and a working pump organ, and it also serves as the Society’s gift shop. The 1840 Tin Shop will feature live fabrication demonstrations. The Burris Store, an old-time general store, will feature Gorsuch guns. The 1846 Samuel Gill House, owned by the Evangelical Friends Church, will serve homemade meals in its tearoom.
Tickets will be available at the Burris Store and Irish Ridge Farm, where visitors will receive a tour map. Adult tickets are $20, and children age 12 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Cash and checks only; credit and debit cards are not accepted. All proceeds support the Historical Society of Mount Pleasant, a volunteer nonprofit organization established in 1948.
Tour updates are available on Facebook at “Friends of Historic Mt. Pleasant, Ohio.”
Written by:
Beverly Riddle, Director
P.O. Box 69
Mt. Pleasant, OH 43939
Phone – 740-769-2647 or cell phone – 740-310-7304.
Email – Irishridgefarmllc@yahoo.com
Cruise-in Added to Historic Mt. Pleasant Annual Tour
The Mt. Pleasant Historical Society’s Annual Tour will be held Saturday, August 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, August 2, 2026, from 1 to 5 p.m. This year, in addition to tours of historic buildings and homes in the National Historic Landmark District, the Society is bringing back its cruise-in on Saturday, August 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Irish Ridge Farm, one mile south of town. Irish Ridge Farm will feature more than 75 antique tractors and trucks, along with extensive flower beds, an 1835 cabin, an 1849 post-and-pin barn, and a home with a post-and-pin kitchen and quilt collection.
Wess Sutton will also be on site with his working 1823 chuck wagon, demonstrating primitive cooking methods. Visitors can learn about the early American cowboys who helped supply food to major East Coast cities in the young country and discover why places such as Central Park and Boston Common came into being.
For the first time, the Shumard House will be open to visitors. The home features beautifully carved plaster ceilings and black marble fireplace mantels. Guests can also enjoy the restored front porch, a welcoming place to sit, visit with neighbors, and take in the view.
Also new this year, the Jefferson County Genealogical Society will be stationed in the Mt. Pleasant Historical Center to assist visitors interested in tracing their family roots.
The popular quilt show will be held at the Quaker Meeting House and will feature quilts made by longtime Society supporter Carolyn Call, along with work by other local quilters. The impressive 60-by-90-foot Meeting House, built in 1814 and believed to be the first of its kind west of the Allegheny Mountains, is still a favorite stop for visitors interested in Quaker history.
West Wind Cottage, the private home of Dr. Wayne and Annette Butler, will also be open. Built around an original 1830 log structure, the cottage includes 6 1/2-foot ceilings and narrow spiral staircases. The home is surrounded by classic gardens, flowers, a goldfish pond, a vegetable garden, and a newly installed water fountain. Visitors are invited to tour the house, relax on the deck or in the gazebo, and enjoy the landscaping and secret garden.
Gary Reynard’s home was once two separate houses. Built in 1830 and joined in 1910, the home features stairs and hallways that connect the rooms and give it distinctive character, complemented by lovely antiques and rich colors. Nearby, the Seceder Cemetery dates to the founding of Mt. Pleasant Village on September 27, 1803. Several Revolutionary War and Civil War veterans’ graves will be marked there, as well as in Highland Cemetery behind the Methodist Church. Mike DiCenzo will be available in the Quaker Meeting House with additional information about the veterans interred there.
At the Methodist Church, visitors can view a collection of aprons. Across the street, the Presbyterian Church will be open for guests to admire its beautiful stained-glass windows, each depicting a story from the life of Christ.
The Mercer House, owned by Tom Haynes, will be open and will showcase a beautiful collection of antique and custom-built furniture produced in Mt. Pleasant or nearby Dillonvale. Upstairs, visitors will find a time capsule of Burris family history, including spool beds, a hatbox collection, a 1795 blanket chest, and a working salesman’s sample cook stove.
The tour will also include several traditional buildings. The Harris-Bone Log Store, built in 1804 by abolitionist Enoch Harris, is the oldest known structure in Mount Pleasant. Paige’s Pieces will offer handcrafted quilted items and homemade fudge there. The Elizabeth House, built in 1835 by John Gill, is where he began a silk mill; today, it is filled with period antique furniture, glassware, and a working pump organ, and it also serves as the Society’s gift shop. The 1840 Tin Shop will feature live fabrication demonstrations. The Burris Store, an old-time general store, will feature Gorsuch guns. The 1846 Samuel Gill House, owned by the Evangelical Friends Church, will serve homemade meals in its tearoom.
Tickets will be available at the Burris Store and Irish Ridge Farm, where visitors will receive a tour map. Adult tickets are $20, and children age 12 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Cash and checks only; credit and debit cards are not accepted. All proceeds support the Historical Society of Mount Pleasant, a volunteer nonprofit organization established in 1948.
Tour updates are available on Facebook at “Friends of Historic Mt. Pleasant, Ohio.”
Written by:
Beverly Riddle, Director
P.O. Box 69
Mt. Pleasant, OH 43939
Phone – 740-769-2647 or cell phone – 740-310-7304.
Email – Irishridgefarmllc@yahoo.com

Photos

Map