Mantua Center Historic District

Mantua Center Historic District. . Side A , The most notable feature of Mantua Center is the "Village Green," which harkens back to the New England heritage of Mantua Center's early settlers. The Green sets upon land donated by Hezekiah Nooney Sr. and was important to both the social and commercial interests of the town. The businesses located here were a furniture and cabinet maker's shop, harness shop, blacksmith shop, post office, tannery, ashery, dry goods store, and distillery. The Methodist Episcopal Church, now the Mantua Civic Center, stands at the southwest corner of the green. Eastlawn cemetery, with a burial that dates to 1816, sits along the south border. The cemetery serves as the final resting place for soldiers of several wars, including the American Revolution, as well as many other early citizens. In 1835 Horace Sizer constructed the stone wall around the cemetery adjacent to Mantua Center Road. [continued on other side] , , Side B , [continued from other side] The 1840 Town Hall features an octagonal dome and sits on the northeast corner of the green. It was later adapted for school use, replacing an "1861 one-room schoolhouse" that stands on Mantua Center Road as a private residence. Later adapted for use as a Grange Hall, it now serves as the Township Hall and home to the Mantua Historical Society. By 1907 a growing school population led to construction of 2 "12-holer" outhouses. The boy's outhouse has been preserved and is behind the building. Along the southeast corner of the green lies Mantua Center Christian Church, with its prominent steeple and distinctive New England-style design. Built in 1840, it is the oldest Disciples of Christ Church in Ohio. James A. Garfield, future president of the United States, frequently preached here between 1855 and 1860, while serving as president of nearby Hiram College (formerly Hiram Eclectic Institute).