St. Clairsville

St. Clairsville. The Historic National Road in Ohio. Ground was broken for the National Road in Ohio in front of the Belmont County Courthouse in St. Clairsville on July 4, 1825. St. Clairsville was originally platted as Newellstown in 1803, the same year Ohio became a state. As the seat of Belmont County, the community grew and prospered. Dominating the center of town today is the 1886 Beaux Arts style courthouse, which was designed by the prominent Columbus architect, Joseph Warren Yost. Adjacent is the old jail and sheriff's residence. The town is named in honor of General Arthur St. Clair, who served as the first Governor of the old Northwest Territory and was also the cousin of the founder of the community, David Newell. The image below is of Main Street in the 1930s., Benjamin Lundy Home - 164 East Main Street , Lundy (1789-1839) was a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers). A New Jersey native, he was drawn to the plight of slavery at an early age and eventually became a major figure in the abolitionist movement. In 1815, he moved to St. Clairsville where he founded the anti-slavery group, the Union Humane Society., Clarendon Hotel - 100 East Main Street. The hotel rests on the site of the National Inn, an early tavern along the National Road. The Clarendon was constructed in 1889., This original Belmont County courthouse was built in 1815 and continued in use for 71 years. The first public bell in St. Clairsville was suspended from its cupola in 1827, and is now on the top floor of the present courthouse.