On Saturday, September 19th, I went to the events in Mantua hosted by Mantua Historical Society and the Mantua Restoration Society as part of Ohio Open Doors. I got there just in time for the dedication of the historic marker which commemorates the Mantua Center Historic Boundary increase.

Next up was a talk about East Lawn Cemetery which featured highlights of several people including Zenas Kent, who was the grandfather of Marvin Kent, the namesake of Kent, Ohio. After the cemetery talk, I headed over to Mantua Center Church to check out a display of quilts. All of this was located at Mantua Center Green which, as we mentioned in our first episode, was laid out how town squares were back in Connecticut since many of the early settlers of the Western Reserve were from there.

Then, just a short drive away up the street, I checked out Mantua Center School where they had refreshments and displays set up of the different classes that went to the school before it was closed down. There was also a book that members of the Mantua Restoration Society put together with newspaper clippings and reports about the school and their efforts to restore it.

I had a great time learning about the history of Mantua, which prior to this I knew very little about, and being able to visit the historic sites.