Weymouth Preservation Society

Local History 

We have accessioned over 1000 items and photographs relating to our history. Your donations are welcome and will be well documented and cared for.  This “walking” spinning wheel was owned by the Blakslee family, pioneers to Weymouth in 1817.

 Lost Medina Places

Take a look in this document to see if you now live in a “Lost” Medina Place.

LOST MEDINA TOWNS

Cook Road Bridges

Have you ever driven over the Rocky River on Cook Road?  We now have a brief history of the bridges from Cook Road.  Check it out!

THE COOK ROAD BRIDGES

Medina Count ’49ers

The WPS has discovered that 27 early Medina County residents braved the arduous trek west to California to discover gold and make their fortunes.  Take a look at this document to learn more!

MEDINA COUNTY ’49ers

Weymouth Mural Restoration

In the summer of 1968, the owner of the Weymouth gas station, Zed Davis, paid Craig Staufer $200 to paint a mural of historic Weymouth on the wall behind the bar. Craig was only 16 but already well known for his artistic abilities. Craig talked to some of the older village residents and did lots of his own research to come up with how the village may have looked in 1856. Over the years time took its toll on the mural. The current owners, Rob and Marlene Shurell, (at left) looked for years to find someone to restore the mural. Janet Baran, new to Medina but a life-long professional artist with ties to Weymouth’s Lathrop Seymour, answered the call. Thanks to Rob, Marlene, Craig and Janet for bringing this beautiful and historic mural to life.   The Methodist Episcopal Church (1845-1906) above Marlene’s head was totally missing.

Weymouth Church Restoration

 We have spent five summers restoring the original 1835 church windows, front doors, and cupola and built, painted and installed new cedar storm windows.  The columns will be restored this year.  This important building, the oldest church in Medina County, is listed on the Historical American Buildings Survey.

Wells Cottage Restoration

We have replaced the roof, rebuilt and painted the shutters and trim, removed decades of paint from the exterior of this derelict 1872 Victorian cottage and repainted it.  Saved from demolition, it serves a new purpose in the community.

Weymouth Abolitionists 

The WPS was awarded an Ohio Historic Marker for the Weymouth Church. It was built in 1835 as the First Congregational Society and served until 1920 when it became the Weymouth Community Church. Our 49-page application was also awarded a grant to cover the nearly $3500 cost. The church building is important because the facade, though sided, is a nearly original example of the Greek Revival architectural style. Also, it is the oldest church building in Medina County and one of the oldest in Ohio, and it had a strong presence in the anti-slavery movement. In 1848, the congregation drafted 14 resolutions against slavery that they expected the Northeast Ohio presbytery to adopt. When they were refused, they withdrew and joined the Oberlin presbytery. The most famous abolitionist of the day, William Lloyd Garrison spoke at the church in 1853.

Where Exactly Is Weymouth?

A question that we hear often! The original area of Weymouth was the entire township, into what is now Medina City, and into Granger, Brunswick and Hinckley Townships. Weymouth had the only post office, “high school” (to 8^th grade), stores, and churches in that entire area. People got their mail addressed as “Weymouth, Granger Township, Medina county, Ohio”. Other small neighborhoods in the Township were Hamilton’s Corners (one-room schoolhouse and cemetery), Fenn’s Corners (schoolhouse), Windfall (schoolhouse and cemetery), Bagdad, Northropville (schoolhouse and private family cemetery), and Medina Center (schoolhouse, cemetery and township hall). Weymouth had a post office from the 1820s to 1906.

Ministers of the First Congregational

Society of Weymouth 1835-1920

Ministers First Congregational Society Weymouth 1835-1920

Van Deusen Diaries

Follow this link below to the diaries of Newman L. Van Deusen (1847-1930) that span 67 years of his life! Van Deusen lived in nearby Hinckley, Ohio, and wrote in his diary every day from 1863 to 1929. These notes were transcribed from over 24,000 pages in the original journals, now housed at the Hinckley Historical Society. His writings are valuable in understanding the incredible changes that took place during his lifetime, right in our own local area.

Van Deusen Diaries 1847-1930

Weymouth School Teachers

The township’s first school was a log church built on March 11, 1817. Eliza Northrop was the first teacher. Other Weymouth one-room schoolhouses were built in 1829 and 1840. In 1872 the Weymouth Sons of Temperance Hall was purchased by the school and a “high school” (to 8^th grade) was added. In 1925 the village residents built a two-classroom brick school designed by noted Cleveland architect Paul Tressler Cahill. That school served until 1956. Of five schoolhouses from 1817-1956, four still stand. Follow this link to information about the teachers.

Weymouth School Teachers 1817-1956 VOLUME I

Weymouth School Teachers 1817-1956 VOLUME II

Weymouth Doctors 1829-1937

Here is a link to doctors who practiced in Weymouth from 1829 to 1937. Their biographies show the interesting careers that the doctors had in Weymouth and beyond. Dr Frank Young was our well-loved doctor from 1870 to 1895. He served as a surgeon in the Civil War and had a “cabinet of curiositie,” a collection of interesting and rare animals, birds and minerals.

Doctors of Weymouth 1826 to 1937

Early Aviation in Medina

Take a trip back in time and see how Medina played an important role in early aviation.

Early Flight in Medina

Weymouth Walking Tour

Weymouth Walking tour maps are available at the cemetery.  Matted prints designed by Janet Baran are available for $20.