South Newbury in Geauga County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Centennial Oak
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An Ohio Suffragist Legacy
Photographed by Craig Doda, August 29, 2026
1. Centennial Oak side of marker
Centennial Oak. The Newbury Woman Suffrage Political Club, headquartered at Union Chapel, planted the Centennial Oak on July 4, 1876. The White Oak (Quercus alba) was chosen for its endurance, longevity, and beauty. The picnic and planting celebration included speeches, songs, fireworks, and a poem dedicated to the Oak written by local suffragist Anna Green. As the club gained national recognition, it attracted such notable suffragists as Susan B. Anthony and Harriet Taylor Upton as visitors and speakers. A Newbury gathering on August 23, 1919, held to celebrate Ohio's recent ratification of the 19th Amendment, included suffragists Upton and Frances Jennings Casement. The last living founding member of Newbury's Woman Suffrage Club, Dr. Julia Porter Green, led a parade from the chapel to Centennial Oak. There she placed a wreath of evergreen and goldenglow upon the tree.
An Ohio Suffragist Legacy. South Newbury's Centennial Oak stands west of Route 44 about 350 feet north of Union Chapel. In 1876, the tree was planted on the private property of Darius and Sophia Allen in an effort to protect it from vandalism by those
this page online
Erected 2026 by America 250: Ohio Commission; William G. Pomeroy Foundation; South Newbury Union Chapel Trustees; Ohio History Connection. (Marker Number 19-28.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Civil Rights • Horticulture & Forestry • Women. In addition, it is included in the America 250: Ohio Commission, the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection, and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is July 4, 1876.
Location. 41° 26.285′ N, 81° 12.459′ W.
Photographed by Craig Doda, August 29, 2026
2. An Ohio Suffragist Legacy side of marker
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cleveland and in the Western Reserve. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in 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 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: South Newbury Union Chapel (a few steps from this marker); This Tablet Marks the Site of Union Chapel (a few steps from this marker); Welcome To Burton's Historic District (approx. 3.9 miles away); Century Building (approx. 3.9 miles away); The Burton Village Historic District (approx. 3.9 miles away); The Hickox Brick (approx. 3.9 miles away);
Photographed by Craig Doda, August 29, 2026
3. South Newbury Union Chapel
Credits. This page was last revised on September 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 30, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 11 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 30, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
