1812Blockhouse

OSR Seeks Help In Establishing Art Gallery

12 Nov , 2019

The Ohio State Reformatory (OSR) is seeking donations for the creation of The Frank & Rae Darabont Art Gallery. This year's goal is to raise $80,000, which is needed to pay for the complete restoration of a hallway as well as the secure display of 20 treasured works of movie art related to The Shawshank Redemption donated to the Ohio State Reformatory by the film's writer and director Frank Darabont and his wife Rae. The works include movie poster art created by Hollywood legends Drew Struzan and Justin Reed. Read More

Art Display, The Ohio State Reformatory, The Shawshank Redemption

History & Tourism

Literary Mansfield: The Poetry of Salathiel Coffinberry

10 Nov , 2019

Note from 1812Blockhouse: We are happy today to re-share a post from our "Literary Mansfield" series, the first such series we did here at 1812Blockhouse. This initial post was made back in September of 2016.

Our first subject was a resident of Mansfield for some, but not all, of his long life. The saga of Salathiel Coffinberry began in Lancaster, Ohio in 1809; he was the son of that city’s first newspaper editor. After a stint in Chilicothe, the family moved to Mansfield, where Salathiel began the practice of law and married for a second time to the equally wonderfully-named Artemisia Cook. He left Mansfield in 1843, and spent the rest of his life in Michigan. Salathiel and Artemisia had six children with names such as Hermia Salathiella, Herman Napoleon, and Estophanta. Read More

Authors and Poets, Literary Mansfield

History & Tourism

Honor City: Mansfield, Ohio

8 Nov , 2019

Take a story and audio trip back in time with 1812Blockhouse today when a young girl and her hometown -- Mansfield -- had national attention for an evening. The roots of talent competition TV shows like the popular America’s Got Talent go back to a time before television, to the days of old time radio and a man called Major Bowes. We want to tell you a bit about Major Bowes, his Original Amateur Hour show, and how that show gave Mansfield a moment in the national spotlight 80 years ago. Read More

Featured, Mansfield History, Singers

All About Richland, History & Tourism

Fireworks In The Snow

7 Nov , 2019

Snow Trails is getting ready for the upcoming ski season and they are inviting the public to both celebrate improvements that have been made at the resort and to start getting ready for their season-opening. They have replaced the Zozo Party from years past, which featured bonfires, with a different kind of pre-season celebration: A November fireworks show. The event will take place on Saturday, November 9. Read More

Featured, Snow Trails, Winter Activities

History & Tourism

Own An Older Home? This Workshop Is For You!

6 Nov , 2019

If you live in an older home here in North Central Ohio, we have just the workshop for you! The Richland Area Preservation Group (RPAG) is hosting a 3-day workshop event to teach participants how to fix and restore wood windows, in order to bring them back to operation and increase a home’s aesthetic appeal. They have engaged Blind Eye Restoration, LLC to lead the workshop. Read More

Historic Preservation, Houses And Homes, Richland Preservation Action Group

History & Tourism

Richland Roots: Pastor, Educator, Politican, Diplomat: The Life Of Edmund Fairfield

3 Nov , 2019

Throughout its history, Richland County has produced or been the home to a wide variety of individuals that have made important contributions to the world. 1812Blockhouse has been sharing their stories in a series we started last year called “Richland Roots.” For other Richland Roots stories, click here. Few we have profiled in this series have held the variety of positions that the subject of today’s profile held during his lifetime. Edmund Burke Fairfield was a minister, a politician, a writer, a university executive, and a member of the United States diplomatic corps. Read More

Featured, Richland Roots

1812MansfieldHistory, History & Tourism

Scenic Trail Extension Opens Near Malabar Farm

1 Nov , 2019

The North Central Ohio Land Conservancy has announced on Facebook that it opened a new extension of the Clear Fork Valley Scenic Trail (CFVST) on October 27, giving hikers more trail to explore. The CFVST is a natural corridor of hiking trails located in southern Richland County. The trail winds through over 600 acres of nature preserves between Malabar Farm and the Richland B&O Trail. Read More

Featured, HIking, North Central Ohio Conservancy, Trails

History & Tourism

November Calendar: A Few Frights Left Before the Holidays Set In

31 Oct , 2019

Our friends at Destination Mansfield - Richland County have assembled a list of November events, designed to start getting you in the holiday spirit. Musicals, concerts, candlelight holiday tours, and even the Polar Xpress are on their way! Read More

Destination Mansfield - Richland County, Family Events, Holidays

History & Tourism

Elektro And The Mansfield Memorial Museum

28 Oct , 2019

Elektro, Robot of Mansfield, Mansfield, Ohio

Elektro the Robot was the humanoid star of the “World of Tomorrow”-themed 1939 New York World’s Fair. Seven feet tall, made of metal, filled with then-state-of-the-art electrical gizmos, he could walk, smoke a cigarette, count on his fingers, and hurl wisecracks at amazed audiences.

History & Tourism

Landmarks of Mansfield: Mansfield’s Carnegie Library Building

27 Oct , 2019

At some date in late 1907, a Mansfield woman boarded a train and headed to New York City. Armed with determination and expressions of commitment from civic leaders, her intent was clear – she wanted to secure a grant from noted industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie for a library building in Mansfield. Read More

Landmarks, Landmarks of Mansfield

All About Richland, History & Tourism

This May Be The Peak Fall Color Weekend Coming Up

24 Oct , 2019

Ohio’s state parks, forests, and nature preserves are always free to enter and are starting to display a dynamic palette of oranges, yellows, and reds that provide the perfect backdrop for hikers enjoying the fall color this weekend. Near peak and peak conditions are expected across most of Ohio this coming weekend according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Read More

Fall, Fall Road Trips

History & Tourism

OSR Named As One Of World’s Creepiest

22 Oct , 2019

A Mansfield attraction gained some international notoriety this month. Fitting, given what month it is. When the venerable magazine Architectural Digest set out to create a list of the world’s creepiest places to visit, they decided to include a place you know quite well. Architectural Digest bills itself as “…the interntional design authority, featuring the works of top architects and designers, as well as the best in style, culture, and design.” Founded in 1920, it also publishes in China, France, Germany, Russia, Spain, Mexico, and Latin America. Read More

Featured, The Ohio State Reformatory, Travel Writers and Writing

History & Tourism

Richland Countian, Gettysburg Surgeon

21 Oct , 2019

During three hot summer days in 1863, tens of thousands of men -- including many from Richland County -- met to do battle on the verdant farm fields of Adams County, Pennsylvania. One of those soliders, a major in the Army of the Potomac, has a permanent resting place in Plymouth’s Greenlawn Cemetery. Although only one of the players in what unfolded, his role was nevertheless a singular one, and the story of his place in the history of the Battle of Gettysburg continues to unfold. Read More

History, Plymouth

History & Tourism

Raining RUBYs For Richland

19 Oct , 2019

Representatives from Destination Mansfield – Richland County and Little Buckeye Children’s Museum attended the Ohio Conference on Travel in West Chester, October 16-18. They joined other travel industry leaders to discuss travel trends and opportunities, as well as to hear from national experts. During the educational conference, local tourism marketing shined brightly with awards received by both local groups. Read More

Awards and Honors, Destination Mansfield - Richland County, Featured, Little Buckeye Childrens Museum

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