CHAMPAIGN COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM
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News of the Society

Museum Closed for Renovation Until June 24, 2025

5/7/2025

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CLOSED FOR RENOVATION UNTIL JUNE 24, 2025

Read more about our improvement project here!

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Historical Society Museum Reopening Delayed Until April

3/1/2025

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Reopening of the Champaign County Historical Society (CCHS) Museum has been delayed due to a vendor’s holdup in manufacturing and shipping new display cases for the museum’s collection.

The museum, which closed to the public on December 20 to accommodate improvements to the facility, will not reopen as planned on March 4. The museum will now have a soft opening on Sunday, April 6, in conjunction with a 2 p.m. program, free and open to the public.

Regular museum hours will resume on Tuesday, April 8: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

At the April 6 program, Kalen Howell Sr. will speak about the legacy of his grandmother Barbara Howell, who was appointed in 1967 as the first director of the Head Start program in Champaign, Logan and Shelby counties.

Her memory lives on through Barbara Howell Park, 213 E. Market St., named in her honor in 1998. The Barbara Howell Park Conservancy, of which Kalen Howell Sr. is executive director, has been formed to revitalize the park and Urbana’s historic Black neighborhood, empower youth, support the vulnerable, and promote unity across diverse communities.

When the museum reopens, work on improvements will continue, CCHS Executive Director Cheryl Ogden said. Painting and recarpeting are complete and some, but not all, of the museum’s new display cases will be set up. The new cases are designed to exhibit at least 50 percent more artifacts than the museum’s previous display cases and will provide visitors a better view of the museum’s collection. Updated interpretive exhibit signage will also enhance visitors’ experience.

“We look forward to welcoming back visitors and apologize for the delay, though it’s something we couldn’t control,” Ogden said. “Once all work is complete, we will invite the public to a grand reopening event.”

About the Champaign County Historical Society
The museum collects, preserves, and interprets artifacts, documents, and other resources from Champaign County to educate current and future generations about our history.

The museum has been located at 809 East Lawn Ave., Urbana, since 1972. Originally established in 1934, the museum first housed its collection at the former location of the Champaign County Library on West Market Street, and then moved to the Nutwood Barn, south of Grimes Field on North Main Street.
The Historical Society is open to the public 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
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CCHS Annual Holiday Celebration Dinner is Sun. Dec. 8

11/8/2024

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CCHS Annual Holiday Celebration Dinner is Sun. Dec. 8
Celebrate the Holidays with Us!
Make your reservations now to celebrate with us at the Champaign County Historical Society’s Annual Holiday Celebration Dinner, Sunday, December 8, at BrownRidge Hall, 220 E. Court St., Urbana (the VFW building).

The fun will begin with a social hour at 5 p.m. A delicious dinner, at 6 p.m., will be served, buffet style, by In Good Taste Catering, featuring chicken and ham. And a dessert bar! Water, tea, and lemonade will be provided, and we’ll have a cash bar for other refreshments.

Make your reservations here, at $25 per person. Or you may make your reservations in person at the museum. In either case, reservations are due by December 2.

At the dinner you can place bids in a silent auction, to support the Historical Society. Auction items will include the creations of Oktoberfest craft vendors. Also during the evening, we’ll update you on the capital improvement project of the CCHS Museum and other plans for the upcoming year. 
Purchase Tickets
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Museum Begins $544,000 Improvement Project

10/31/2024

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The museum's research and volunteer work area was moved from the first floor, by the entrance, to the second floor, to provide more exhibit space on the first floor. New computers and workstations will be added to this area for use by volunteers and the public (by appointment).
The Champaign County Historical Society (CCHS) is making substantial improvements to its museum at 809 East Lawn Ave., Urbana, with the support of an Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) grant of $474,243 and $70,000 raised in the society’s capital fundraising campaign.
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Entry doors and windows are already being restored on the north end of the building, facing East Lawn Avenue, which will enhance the exterior appearance of the museum. The doors and windows are expected to be reinstalled before the end of November.

Many improvements will be made inside the museum, including the first-floor collection galleries and the second-floor work, research and meeting space.


“With these improvements we’re turning a corner,” CCHS Executive Director Cheryl Ogden says. “We’re not just a repository of historical artifacts, but a place where people can learn about our history.”

New display cases will begin arriving mid-November, and the collection galleries will be repainted and get new carpet.

The new cases are designed to exhibit at least 50 percent more artifacts than the museum’s current display cases, in the same amount of floor space, Ogden says. And they will provide visitors a better view of the museum’s collection. Updated interpretive exhibit signage will also enhance visitors’ experience.

Earlier this year, in preparation for the improvements, the museum’s research and volunteer work area was moved from the first floor, by the entrance, to the second floor. This provides more exhibit space on the first floor.

Electrical work upstairs will accommodate new computers and workstations, where volunteers and the public (by appointment) will conduct research. The work area will also include a new copier and printer, which, among other tasks, will be used to create new interpretive panels for exhibits.

The second-floor area will also be available for meetings and programs.

Several changes will be made to the layout of the museum’s first floor:
  • A new reception desk will be installed at the entrance, with a gift shop
  • The museum’s Woodstock Post Office exhibit will be moved to the front of the museum, by the gift shop
  • The agricultural history section, now in the addition on the east side of the museum, opposite the entrance, will be moved to the area now occupied by the post office
  • The current agricultural space will be developed into a “small town” scape that will bring together a variety of existing exhibits related to small-town life, such as the bankers window, tin smith shop, grocery store, switchboard, theater seating, jewelry repair shop, an antique car, a display of railroads in the county, and horse buggies displayed in front of historical photo murals of Mechanicsburg, St. Paris and Urbana, where the buggies were manufactured

“These improvements have been made possible by the generosity of individuals, families and businesses who have supported our capital improvements campaign and the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC), through their cultural facilities grants program,” says Terry Koster, president of the CCHS Board of Trustees. “We also are grateful for the continuing support of the Champaign County Board of Commissioners.”

The OFCC oversees capital improvement funds appropriated by the General Assembly for planning, construction, renovation and expansion projects at Ohio's theaters, museums, arts education facilities, historical sites, and publicly-owned professional sports venues.
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Mike Major to Speak on Sculptor J.Q.A. Ward at History Museum on April 7

3/20/2024

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Indian Hunter Sculpture by John Quincy Adams Ward
Champaign County sculptor Mike Major will speak on the work and life of 19th century sculptor John Quincy Adams Ward at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 7, at the Champaign County Historical Society Museum, 809 East Market St., Urbana. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Ward, born in Urbana in 1830, became known as the “Dean of American Sculpture” for his naturalistic works, including the Indian Hunter, placed in New York City’s Central Park. A replica of the sculpture, commissioned by his wife on his passing in 1910, marks his grave at Oak Dale Cemetery in Urbana.  
 
Major restored the Indian Hunter at Oak Dale Cemetery in 2018. He says that Ward got his start in sculpting as a youth in Urbana. He enjoyed sculpting small animals, figures on horseback, sawmills, and populated villages.

About the Champaign County Historical Society
The Historical Society museum collects, preserves, and interprets artifacts, documents, and other resources from Champaign County to educate current and future generations about our history.

The museum has been located at 809 East Lawn Ave., Urbana, since 1972. Originally established in 1934, the museum first housed its collection at the former location of the Champaign County Library on West Market Street, and then moved to the Nutwood Barn, south of Grimes Field on North Main Street.
The museum is open to the public 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
 
Photo caption:
This photo, of the Indian Hunter sculpture at John Quincy Adams Ward’s Oak Dale Cemetery gravesite, is from the William “Bill” Whitman photography collection in the Champaign County Historical Society’s archives.  
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Big Changes Coming to Historical Society Museum

12/6/2023

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Champaign County Historical Museum Renovations
To enable our staff and volunteers to move exhibits from the upstairs area, and to move the workspace upstairs, the museum will be closed starting December 11th. We will reopen on January 28, 2024, for our annual meeting.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this might cause and look forward to seeing everyone in the new year!
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Christmas at the Museum Set for Dec. 10

11/3/2023

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Christmas at the Museum
The annual Christmas dinner will be held Dec. 10, 2023, beginning with a social hour at 4:00 pm.  Dinner, catered by Amy Forest of In Good Taste Catering, will be served at 5:00 p.m. by the Girl Scout Troop #32191 and adviser, Ashley Skinner. The cost will be $20.00 per person paid in advance.
 
The social hour will offer beverages and a charcuterie service of assorted cheeses, veggies, and crackers. The meal will include brown sugar glazed spiral sliced ham, au gratin potatoes, green beans almondine, rolls, butter, and assorted small bite desserts. Beverages of water, tea and coffee will be available.
  
To ensure everyone can have a comfortable dining experience, we have a reservation limit of 60 people. The dinner is not limited to CCHS members. Feel free to invite your friends! Call the Museum, 937-653-6721, Mon – Fri 10-4 and Sat 10-2 to reserve your spot. (Reservations are not final until the money has been received.)
  
Holiday music, flickering candles, delicious food – who could ask for more! 

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Picnic on the Lawn Set for August 27th

7/28/2023

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Champaign County Historical Museum Picnic on the Lawn
Celebrate the summer and spend a lazy Sunday afternoon enjoying a delicious lunch at the Museum. With the support of The Peoples Savings Bank, the 3rd Annual Picnic on the Lawn will be held August 27, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. Bring your friends and savor the delicious chicken salad, yummy croissant, baked beans, and pasta salad served by In Good Taste Catering. Top it off with home baked berry cobbler, iced tea or lemonade…what could be better?
  
Tickets are $12.00 per person and are available at the Museum, The Peoples Savings Bank or on this website. Ticket sales end Aug. 23. No tickets will be available the day of the event!
  
See you at the “Picnic on the Lawn”!
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"Most Unusual" & "Most Valuable" Items at the 2023 Antique Appraisal Fair

4/6/2023

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During the recent Antique Appraisal Fair at the Champaign County Historical Museum prizes were awarded for the “Most Unusual” and the “Most Valuable“ items submitted for appraisal.

Sue Evans Berkemeier Greg Shipley meteorite
Shown is Sue Evans Berkemeier with appraiser, Greg Shipley, and the meteorite which was discovered by her father and grandfather on the family farm in Champaign County. Found in the late 1940’s, it weighs about 20 pounds and is millions of years old. It has been verified and tested as authentic by the OSU labs  As this is such a rare find, she was the winner of the award for the “Most Valuable” item presented at the Fair.
Gary Shambaugh Antique Appraisal Fair
Taking the prize for the “Most Unusual” item was a folk- art piece described as an “iron pig”. Shown is Gary Shambaugh who found the item in a box of toys purchased at a yard sale in the 1970’s. He wanted the hot wheels which were in the box, but, on discovering the unusual figure, he decided to keep it. The figure was painted yellow with pink dots and upon removing the paint he discovered the figure had an animal body with a man’s face.  It is considered a rare piece of folk art valued between $250-300.

Mrs. Berkemeier and Mr. Shambaugh donated the cash prizes to the Museum.
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Round Barns of America - 75 Icons of History By Robert Kroeger BOOK SIGNING EVENT

3/22/2023

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APRIL 14, 2023
12 -2 pm
Champaign Co. Historical Museum
809 E. Lawn Ave. Urbana, OH
Free Admission
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Join us April 14, 2023 from 12 -2 pm, when artist and writer, Robert Kroeger, will visit the Champaign County Historical Society and Museum (CCHS) to sign his latest book Round Barns of America – 75 Icons of History.
The hard cover book features 75 round barns (circular, octagonal, or other polygonal without right angles) in 32 states, stretching from the east coast to the wild west. Enjoy the colorful stories, some of them intriguing rags to riches tales such as Absalom Jennings and his Nutwood, the brick round barn, built in 1858 in Ohio, and Schandor Herz, born in Slovakia in the 19th. century and raised in Chicago, finishing his years on a sumptuous Kentucky horse farm in Bourbon County and its rare tetradecagonal barn. Together, these 75 round barns represent a cross section of American pioneers, dating from years before the American Revolution to the glory decades of round barns – 1870s to 1920s. It is the first book to cover round barns on a national scope and its stories capture early Americana!
Three round barns in Champaign County were included in the book and the owners of the barns will share their knowledge of their respective barns’ history and architectural details. In addition, Mr. Kroeger will share stories of his travels and discoveries.
Complimentary wine and light refreshments will be served following the program.
Mr. Kroeger has appeared twice at the museum in the past to demonstrate his barn painting technique and to sign his previous book published in 2021, Historic Barns of Ohio. Following his presentations, he presented the Museum with twenty- four of his original Champaign County barn paintings for use as a fund raising tool. The CCHS featured twelve of the paintings on the 2023 Calendar. The proceeds of the calendar sales and a percentage of the proceeds from the auction of those twelve paintings have gone towards the operations of the Museum. The additional twelve paintings will be offered at auction in the near future.
If you are unable to attend the book signing, you may purchase the book from the publisher, Acclaim Press - www.acclaimpress.com

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    Champaign County Historical Society Board President

    Terry Koster

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Champaign County Historical Society Museum

Our Location

Visit Us!

809 E. Lawn Ave.
Urbana, OH 43078
HOURS
Tue-Fri: 10am - 4pm
Sat: 10am - 2pm
CLOSED FOR RENOVATION UNTIL MARCH 4, 2025

Contact Us

937.653.6721
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