Museum at the Friends Home
115 S. 4th St.Waynesville, Ohio 45068
513-897-1607 | https://www.friendshomemuseum.org/
Museum at the Friends Home
Located two blocks from historic downtown Waynesville, the Museum at the Friends Home shares stories of surrounding communities in the unique setting of a 1905 Quaker boarding house. From the early settlers of Warren County to residents of the Friends Home, visitors can connect with local history through the lives and objects of many different people represented in the museum’s exhibits.
Located two blocks from historic downtown Waynesville, the Museum at the Friends Home shares stories of surrounding communities in the unique setting of a 1905 Quaker boarding house. From the early settlers of Warren County to residents of the Friends Home, visitors can connect with local history through the lives and objects of many different people represented in the museum’s exhibits.
The Museum at the Friends Home is furnished in period decor, with many of the furnishings left behind by former residents of the boarding house. Each of the boarders’ rooms has a local history theme, covering communities in the area surrounding Waynesville. For example, the museum exhibits New Burlington’s post office window along with a number of objects, photos, newspaper articles, and maps that help tell the story of the village which was founded in 1799 and destroyed in the 1970s by the construction of nearby Caesar Creek Lake.
This region shares a rich Quaker legacy along with other areas of southwest Ohio, which is illustrated by stories of the Friends Home and the Quaker settlers of Warren County who migrated from South Carolina in protest of protest slavery to which they were morally opposed. As part of their commitment to the abolition of slavery, nineteenth century Quakers avoided wearing vibrantly-colored clothing made from fabric dyed by slaves. Some of these distinctive articles of clothing are on display at the museum along with other objects related to the Religious Society of Friends. The Burnett Butterworth Library/Archive holds the historical records of the Miami Monthly Meeting of Friends, which meets at the White Brick Meetinghouse next door. The records
Notes for Travelers
A few parking spots are available on the North side of the museum on Miami Street and street parking is available on 4th Street. Walk South on 4th Street to see the historic White Brick and Red Brick Quaker Meetinghouses built by two different branches of the Society of Friends in Waynesville. The Museum at the Friends Home can provide brochures for self-guided walking tours of historic Waynesville, including the Friends Home and adjacent meetinghouses. Private tours of the Museum at the Friends Home can be arranged any day or evening except Sunday with one-week advance notice by contacting the museum. Tours of the 1811 White Brick Meetinghouse can also be arranged through the museum along with guided walking tours for groups of ten or more from April-November. Other tours are available, including Civil War Soldiers and Early Pioneers, the Historic Quaker District, and a Ghostly Walking Tour.