CHILLICOTHE, OHIO
(Population 21,900)
Founded in
1796, Chillicothe served as capital of the Northwest Territory and was governed by General Arthur St. Clair 1800-1802. The
city was host to the state's first constitutional convention in 1802, and Chillicothe was Ohio's first capital. Now an industrial
center, the city has many early 19th-century Greek Revival mansions.
Chillicothe is a junction of two scenic highways. A picturesque of SR 159 runs 34 miles southwest from Lancaster, while an impressive portion of US runs 19 miles northeast of Bainbridge.
ADENA STATE MEMORIAL, off Adena Rd. is west of SR 104. Furnished in period, this Georgian stone
mansion was built 1806-07 for Thomas Worthington, sixth governor of Ohio. It was designed by Benjamin Latrobe, who later directed
the reconstruction of the nation's Capitol after the British burned it during the War of 1812.
A tenant house, smokehouse, washhouse, barn and springhouse occupy the sites of the original buildings. An overlook provides a view of the hills that are reproduced on the state seal.
Unfortunately, it will be closed all this year for renovations except for Memorial Day weekend.
HOPEWELL CULTURE
NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
A 120-acre
tract with a 13-acre earth wall enclosure about 3 miles north of Chillicothe on SR 104, this monument preserves 23 historic
burial mounds that lie within a low embankment. The Hopewell Indians, who inhabited the area from about 200 BC to 500 AD, were
noted for their artistry and their practice of erecting earth mounds over their dead. These artisans fashioned ornaments from
materials foreign to Ohio.
A visitor center contains exhibits and public facilities, including an auditorium with a 15-minute orientation film and a recorded description and history of the site. Marked trails and trailside exhibits also can be found. Click here to visit the National Park Service web site.