Westerville in Franklin County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Reverend Bishop William Hanby
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Benjamin Hanby, Class of 1858
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 28, 2026
1. Reverend Bishop William Hanby side of the marker
Reverend Bishop William Hanby. William Hanby (1808-1880) was a saddle and harness-maker, Underground Railroad operative, circuit rider, co-founder of Otterbein University, and father of composer Benjamin Hanby. In 1817, his widowed mother bound of the 9-year-old Hanby to 6 years service with a Quaker farmer. In 1823, the newly freed teenager indentured himself to a Pennsylvania saddle-maker only to escape his cruel master in 1828. Grateful to those who helped him to freedom in Ohio, Hanby vowed to reciprocate. An ardent abolitionist, he opened his Ohio homes to freedom-seekers fleeing slavery. Hanby served the United Brethren Church as an editor, a supply pastor, and as a bishop from 1845 until his death. William Hanby moved his family to Westerville in 1853. Their house, relocated to 160 W. Main Street in 1937, was added to the National Register in 1970.
Benjamin Hanby, Class of 1858. Benjamin Russel Hanby (1833-1867) enrolled at Otterbein University in 1849. To afford tuition and to aid his family, Hanby alternated college terms with teaching in nearby public schools. While a student in 1856, he was moved by the story of a slave and his sweetheart to compose the anti-slavery ballad "Darling Nelly Gray." The song quickly proved popular in abolitionist circles. After graduation, Hanby worked as an Otterbein
this page online
Erected 2025 by Westerville Historical Society; Otterbein University; Ohio History Connection. (Marker Number 143-25.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • Arts, Letters, Music • Education • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical date for this entry is March 16, 1867.
Location. 40° 7.52′ N, 82° 56.124′ W. Marker is in Westerville, Ohio, in Franklin County. It is at the intersection of South Grove Street and West College Avenue, on the right when traveling north on South Grove Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2 S Grove St, Westerville OH 43081, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Scioto Valley and in the Columbus Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. 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: Civil War (within shouting distance of this marker); Towers Hall (within shouting
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 28, 2026
2. Benjamin Hanby, Class of 1858 side of the marker
Another marker is no longer nearby. In Memory of Benjamin R. Hanby (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 28, 2026
3. Reverend Bishop William Hanby / Benjamin Hanby, Class of 1858 Marker
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 28, 2026
4. Reverend Bishop William Hanby / Benjamin Hanby, Class of 1858 Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 14 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
