Dover Township in Tuscarawas County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

The Button House

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 23, 2025

1. The Button House Marker

Inscription. With our home quickly filling up with carvings, I sold my famous wooden pliers for five cents a piece to build this structure in 1936. I always called it the Nickel Building and it was the best $250 I ever spent, as it became the first official Warther Museum. After my son Dave constructed the larger museum in 1963, Frieda filled this space with her own collection and spent the next 30 years, between the ages of 60 and 90, sewing 73,282 buttons into her beautiful designs.

- E. Warther

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical year for this entry is 1936.

Location. 40° 31.516′ N, 81° 29.277′ W. Marker is in Dover, Ohio, in Tuscarawas County. It is in Dover Township. It is on Karl Avenue. The marker is on the grounds of the Ernest Warther Museum & Gardens. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 331 Karl Avenue, Dover OH 44622, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Amish Country.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Grape Arbor (a few steps from this marker); Frieda's Gardens (a few steps from this marker); Welcome to the World of Ernest "Mooney" and Frieda Warther (within shouting distance of this marker); "Dumb Street" and the Calico Ditch (within shouting distance of this marker); Dover Public Library

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

(approx. 0.4 miles away); W. W. Scott, 1891 (approx. 0.6 miles away); Dover Concert Band, 1924 (approx. 0.6 miles away); Christian Deardorff (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dover.

The Nickel Building image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 23, 2025

2. The Nickel Building

This building, also known as the Button House, is home to Frieda Warther's button display.

The Button House image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 23, 2025

3. The Button House

In addition to collecting buttons, Frieda would arrange their display. The arrangements can still be seen today.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 23, 2025

4. The Button House

There are 73,252 buttons inside the Button House, arranged into intricate geometric patterns.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 13, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 106 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 13, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.