Historical Exhibit At the Old Campus Martius Block House.
Many Antiquities and Relics Shown.
Daughters of American Revolution Invite the Public to Examine.
The old block house at the corner of Second and Washington streets, more than a century ago a part of Campus Martius and the home of General Rufus Putnam, was bright with lights once more last evening and its rooms and hallways were filled with the murmur of many voices. People thronged the rooms and inspected the historic building, which many of them had never before entered, and examined many articles of historic and intrinsic value that were on display everywhere.
The occasion was the opening to the public for a brief period of the block house, by the Marietta Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, who took charge of the property some time since. They have made some changes that have made things more convenient but have not altered the character of general appearance of the house and will contribute to its preservation.
Preparations had been going on this week for an exhibit of antiquities and relics of the time of Governor Meigs and other periods of long ago, some of them earlier and some of them later than the time when that leader held the reins of authority. The three rooms on the ground floor were all very attractive and were the stories of only the most thrilling interest with which the various articles which are shown collected, a most interesting book could be written and one that would have much value from the light it would shed on the band of pioneers who made the early history of Marietta and laid the foundation of the Northwest Territory.
The apartments were lighted with candles throughout. They were in candlesticks of all sorts and sizes, and in large numbers. All of them were heirlooms and there were some particularly handsome and valuable ones among them. Silver sticks of elaborate design held numerous dips which shed a yellow light over the interior of the house. Single sticks of cheaper material were on all sides.
Chairs of fantastic design and other furniture such as the forefathers were accustomed to was arranged. Pictures of various kinds, mirrors which date back to the settlement of Marietta, bed spreads made by the hand of the woman settlers, laces of elaborate design and great beauty, portions of the wedding gowns of the brides of a century ago, silverware that was used by George Washington and other notables, chine from which Governor Meigs and his associate leaders ate and drank, books and manuscripts growing yellow with the passage of time, etc., etc., held the attention of the caller and conjured up many visions. The owners of some of these antiquities were present and told interesting bits of their history.
The kitchen is the room which seemed to appeal to most of the visitors. In it was a great open fireplace which takes up almost one entire side. Andirons a century old which were brought over the mountains supported the logs of the wood fire and over the blaze swung an iron pot which has a history of its own. In a corner stands a spinning wheel, beside it rocks a cradle, ears of yellow corn hung from the ceiling. On a table stood a keg and tin cups, from which sweet cider was served with doughnuts.
The exhibit opened Thursday afternoon and quite a large number of people called and were much interested in what they saw. The block house will be kept open all of today and Saturday and all who care to visit it are invited to do so.
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