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Mount Pleasant Tour Features Additions, Extended Hours

The Historical Society of Mount Pleasant has hosted an annual tour of the historic village for more than 60 years. The tour takes place the first full weekend in August, and this year will be held Aug. 6-7. Extended hours this year will allow extra time for visitors to appreciate fully each historic site. New hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 6 and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 7. Organizers recommend visitors allow at least three hours to tour all sites.

This year’s tour includes updated displays and exhibits that showcase items from the Historical Society’s collections that have not been seen by the public for many years. Newly acquired items will be on display as well.

The Burriss Store, a general store first opened in 1895, has received updated historical displays on the museum side, and new merchandise in the historical society’s gift shop. Efforts have been made to change the focus of the gift shop to include primarily items that are made in the U.S. and that are historically correct. One example of this is a collection of silk cocoons available for sale. John W. Gill built and operated a silk mill and cocoonery behind the Gill house, feeding mulberry leaves to the moths, and processing the silk fibers to make award-winning silk fabric and ribbon.

This year’s tour will include perennial favorites such as the Bone Store, a log cabin built in 1804, and the Quaker Yearly Meeting House, as well as several privately owned properties that have never been shown before, a few that have been on the tour before and others that have not for many years.

The newest and oldest building to join the tour is a log house built circa 1808.

This house was purchased recently by Don and Angela Feenerty, who are in the process of restoring it to its original state.

“On the outside, it is just an ugly little house,” said Angela Feenerty, “but inside you can see that it is a two-story log structure.”

It is under intensive restoration, so access is limited.

The same applies to the Isaac Parker house and the Free Labor Store. The Isaac Parker house recently was purchased by the Ohio History Connection. Work to secure the house has begun but will take several years to complete.

Another building on tour will be the former Lone Tree restaurant. This building was built in 1840 and was home to a Wells Fargo station and a telegraph office.

The Friends Church recently restored the Samuel Gill house, which is right across the street from both the log house and the Free Labor Store. This will be its debut on the tour.

Two other buildings recently have received upgrades. These include the John W. Gill house, known locally as the Elizabeth House; and, thanks to the Pugliese Foundation, the Tin Shop, which has undergone exterior renovations.

Together there are 12 historic sites to view. The historical center, in the center of town, houses the historical society’s museum, and the Hicksite Meeting House, built circa 1837, two miles west of town, also is included.

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