Granville in Licking County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

The Granville Academy / The Anti-Slavery Movement

The Granville Academy Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., October 11, 2008

1. The Granville Academy Marker

Inscription. The Granville Academy The Granville Congregational Church erected this building in 1833 for its Female Academy and a church meeting room. The school prospered and, in 1837, moved to make way for the Granville Male Academy. The Welsh Congregational Church purchased the structure in 1863 and converted its two stories into a single room with full-height windows. Welsh language services were held here for sixty years. Granville Grange #2230 met in the building from 1923 to 1973. It then became Granville Historical Society's property and, in 1981, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Anti-Slavery Movement Opponents to slavery met at the academy during the 1830s and 1840s. In 1834, Theodore Weld, a zealous abolitionist, proclaimed his then radical views here. A mob gathered outside and pelted Weld through the windows with eggs. In 1841, a dramatic trial within these walls contested whether a runaway slave could be extradited from Ohio and returned to the south. Judge Samuel Bancroft ruled that Ohio's extradition law was unconstitutional. The partisan crowd ushered the man to a waiting horse and he hurried north.

Erected 1999 by Ohio Bicentennial Commission, The Longaberger Company, The Granville Historical Society,

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and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 9-45.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • Agriculture • Churches & Religion • Education • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1833.

Location. 40° 4′ N, 82° 31.226′ W. Marker is in Granville, Ohio, in Licking County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street (Ohio Route 661) and Elm Street, on the left when traveling north on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 103 West Elm Street, Granville OH 43023, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Old Colony Burying Ground, 1805 (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Old Colony Burying Ground (about 400 feet away); St. Luke's Episcopal Church (about 400 feet away); Granville's Welsh Hills (about 400 feet away); Founding of Granville, The Licking Company / The Granville Site, "The most eligible part" (about 500 feet away); Granville Opera House (about 500 feet away); Bolen Memorial Park

The Anti-Slavery Movement Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., October 11, 2008

2. The Anti-Slavery Movement Marker

(about 500 feet away); Bank of the Alexandrian Society (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Granville.

Also see . . . The History of Granville, Licking County, Ohio. The Male and Female Academies are discussed in Chapter XLI of this book, written by Henry Bushnell and published by Press of Hann & Adair, 1889. It includes an early drawing of the building, before its 1863 conversion. (Submitted on October 18, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)

The Granville Academy and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., October 12, 2008

3. The Granville Academy and Marker

The Granville Academy, built c.1833 (west facade) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., October 11, 2008

4. The Granville Academy, built c.1833 (west facade)

The Granville Academy, c.1833 Sign image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., October 12, 2008

5. The Granville Academy, c.1833 Sign

Credits. This page was last revised on December 2, 2019. It was originally submitted on October 17, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 2,838 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 17, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.