“Ladies of the House” – The Women Who Managed Adena Mansion of Chillicothe

Ross County and Chillicothe — The former director of Adena Mansion, and Worthington family historian, recently spoke on the women who managed the home.

Adena Mansion & Gardens continues to offer presentations on the history of the site, area, and region — and Sunday’s event by Mary Anne Brown was focused on “Ladies of the House.”

She gave a biography of Thomas Worthington’s wife Eleanor, who emigrated with her husband and family to the frontier town of Chillicothe…eventually managing one of the largest homes in the region, and when her husband was away (which was frequently) one of the largest property holdings and business consortiums in the state.

Then Brown spoke of the daughter-in-law who had married James, the heir of the estate. Julia Galloway was mistress of Adena for only eight years before she died.

James remarried, and Martha Piatt Reed helped manage Adena. She was the last Worthington to live at Adena, until she died in 1896. (Chillicothe’s Piatt Avenue, mispronounced, is named after her family.)

Then in 1903, the vacant grounds were bought by George Hunter Smith. The house was lightly remodeled as a summer house for him and wife Clara Boggs. When she died as a widow in 1946 she left the estate to the State of Ohio to be used as a museum.

Brown said she was surprised by the number of girls in the audience. Most were Girl Scouts, and a den mother told me they were earning points by attending.

Brown has given talks in the past, including a couple on the sad tale of Mary Worthington Macomb: firstborn of Thomas Worthington, he disapproved of her choice of a husband…and was proven right after he had to fire his son-in-law, who then wandered into the frontiers of the time, to the demise of his family.

Brown said she expects to continue giving talks on Adena and Worthington history.

Among upcoming historical presentations and events at Adena Mansion & Gardens:

• “The Story of Ohio’s Canals: An Engineering Endeavor that Can Still Be Traced in Ohio’s Landscape” with Tom O’Grady, August 11th.
• “A Servants View.” Join local historian Beverly Gray for a presentation to discuss the servants who worked at Adena, postponed to August 25th.
• Murder Mystery Dinner, September 13,14, and 15 (this tends to sell out quickly).
• “Autumn Equinox Harvest Dinner: A Farm-to-Table Experience” on September 22nd. “Join Adena Mansion and Gardens Society for a Farm to Table experience with locally sourced food prepared by local chefs.”

…And more.

My iPhone fouled up my attempt at a video twice, but you can watch part of the interview I tried to produce, below. Find more in the article on the Scioto Post, including a brief video interview.

Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.