Programs

South Newbury Union Chapel was at the center of Geauga women’s efforts to introduce bloomer fashion, pass the amendment allowing women to vote, and transform their communities.  What do we know, and what do we NOT know, about the Geauga women who voted illegally, marched for suffrage, and actively campaigned for social reform?  Because of this rich heritage, the South Newbury Union Chapel is a unique Geauga women’s history site on the National Register of Historic Places and the National Votes for Women Trail.

This program traces women's suffrage from the 1848 women's right convention in Seneca Falls, NY, to the initiatives in Ohio, including those at South Newbury Union Chapel. 

In the early years of the 19th century, scores of New Englanders packed their wagons and journeyed west, spurred by hopes and dreams of opportunities promised by a fresh landscape that appeared reassuringly familiar. The intersections, as well as the disparities, between what these pioneers envisioned this northeastern Ohio frontier to be and the realities of their lives, particularly for women, provide insight on the spirit of post-revolution Americans, their restless compulsion to possess a wilderness, and the creation of the communities in which we now live.

We hear so much about Geauga’s great fire, great snow, great Yankee migration, and the tales of our menfolk as they wrestled a county from the forest and developed the communities we know and love today. But what about the ladies?  What were their adventures and how did they define “woman’s place” in Geauga County’s heritage?  Where can we find the visual remnants of their stories to remind us of their contributions today? And what can WE do (and are doing) to ensure that future Geaugans “remember the ladies”? 

Explore the fascinating past of Geauga County’s South Newbury Union Chapel from the 1858 building of the chapel after a controversial freedom of speech incident, through its years as a hub of temperance, social reform, and community activism.  From suffrage marches to bloomer costumes to illegal voting, Geaugans gathered at Union Chapel to further progressive causes. Because of this rich heritage, the Chapel is now recognized both statewide and nationwide. 

What sites in Geauga County have been designated historic and why are they significant enough to be on the National Register of Historic Places?  And where are our Ohio Historical Markers?  Let’s take an armchair tour before you head out to visit these compelling places that best represent our county’s past.