Marion site will take part in ‘Ohio Open Doors’
The Marion Women's Club Home will be one of many historic sites across Ohio that will give visitors the chance to step back in time on Sunday, Sept. 11.
The Ohio History Connection's “Welcome Home” event is part of the agency's statewide “Ohio Open Doors” program during which historic buildings and landmarks across Ohio “open their doors” so visitors can explore places that reflect the Buckeye State's rich heritage. The Women's Club Home will be open to the public from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sept. 11. Admission is free.
Costumed members of the Marion Women's Club will welcome guests inside the 1903 Colonial Revival Historic Home to gain insights into the lives of local women from the past and present, as well as the property's iconic architectural features.
Topics and speakers include:
● “Women & Politics,” headlined by former U.S. Treasurer and Marion resident Mary Ellen Withrow, daughter Linda Rizzo, and Joan Kasotis, Marion County Auditor;
● “Women & the Arts,” featuring local artists Pam Degood and Lannette Davis who will speak on local art clubs throughout history as well as current art initiatives of the Marion Women's Club;
● “Local Women & Community Health,” past WCH president and retired registered nurse Sharol Herr will discuss the Women's Club role in hiring the community's first public health nurse, helping to create the first local school lunch program, as well as Marion's first hospital;
● “Women & War,” with WCH member/nurse Suzanne Beers discussing local nurses' roles in wartime, including how part of the wrought-iron fence around the historic Women's Club Home property was used for WWII munitions;
● “Women's Club Historic Home, Architecture & Property,” with Club board member Deb Stark presenting an overall view of how homeowners Ida & Shauck Barlow contributed to the expansion of the Marion Women's Club, as well as current preservation efforts.
Club President Nancy Hafer will share the history of the Abigail Harding Lewis Auditorium as a gathering place for club programs, the home's designation as a National Historic Site, and upcoming plans for the property to become a museum featuring a Women's History Resource Center.