FAHS December 2024 News: Hometown Holiday and more

December 2024

Make a donation to FAHS. Join/renew online!

Preserving the uniqueness of Franklin’s past, experiencing the present, and laying the foundation for future generations.

We have a new logo and tagline!

Thanks to these two 7th grade students, Bentley McClure and Jude Bethel, and Stivers Media Design & Consulting LLC, Franklin Area Historical Society has a new logo and tagline, which you can see above. The board has been working on rebranding and decided to get input from a younger crowd, Franklin 7th grade social studies students.

Many thanks to board member and Franklin teacher Stephen Lake for the suggestion to involve students, and to Franklin City Schools for this great partnership!

View as Webpage

Local novelist to speak Dec. 8

Jeffrey Larsh, author of two books about the American Revolution, will speak and sign his books at the Franklin Area Historical Society's Harding Museum on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2 p.m.

Larsh, a veteran and retired law enforcement officer, recently completed his second book, Frontier Warriors, a sequel to his 2022 book Paul Larsh An Original Frontiersman.

Frontier Warriors is set in Southwestern Pennsylvania during the American Revolution and is the story of the Chapeaux Brun, woodsmen of French and Native descent.

His first book, Paul Larsh An Original Frontiersman, is based on the life of his fifth great grandfather, a story that has been part of the Larsh family's lore for over two centuries.

There is no charge for the event.

Hometown Holiday Dec. 14

Stop by the Harding Museum on Saturday, Dec. 14, to enjoy a Hometown Holiday including:

Live music
Santa (2 p.m.)
An ugly sweater display
Children's craft
Refreshments
The museum gift shop, featuring local artists and crafts persons (see separate article)
Hometown decorations and lighting
Raffle basket from A Country Peddler.

Help us fill Santa's stocking! We are collecting new, small and medium children's socks for Shoes for the Shoeless (the kind that can be worn with gym shoes, and the more colorful the better).

A huge thank you to our sponsors: Michael Estepp, Continuous Gutter, LLC; Ruppert Law; and Edward Jones - Josh Myers.

There is no charge for the event.

Bylaws revision

The Board has been updating our bylaws and will OK them at our next meeting on Dec. 10.

The next step will be for you, the membership, to vote on them. Stay tuned for info about that.

Major changes include updating them to allow virtual and electronic voting, etc.

The bylaws were last revised in 2016.

Election of Officers and Volunteers

We'll ask you to vote on 2025 officers and directors at the end of the month. We'll be welcoming two new directors next year.

Are you interested in serving on a committee? We'd love to get you involved in planning and staffing events and being a docent (showing visitors around the museum).

Email franklinohhistory@gmail.com.

Museums' Hours

Harding Museum: Fridays, 10 to 3 and Saturdays, Noon to 3.

The Log Post Office is closed for the season! Admission to both museums is free, thanks to WesBanco.

The Harding will be closed Jan. 3 to Feb. 8 for cleaning and exhibit work.

Watch our Facebook page for news about our hours.

Gift shop features local artists

We're making it easy for you to shop local this holiday season by featuring area artists and crafters in the Harding Museum gift shop. The shop is open during the museum hours, Fridays, 10 to 3 and Saturdays, Noon to 3. Additional hours may be offered and will be announced on our Facebook page.

Shoppers may pay with cash, check, credit card, Venmo, or PayPal.

This year's featured artists include a mix of new and returning vendors:

Three Cats Pottery (returning), Daniel Susco and Michelle Blum, Dayton. Handmade art pottery. Etsy shop.
Country Treasures 937 (new vendor), Angie Bolender, Waynesville. Sublimation prints, tumblers, shirts, jewelry. Ebay Store.
Cards by Janice (returning), Janice Tinch, Madison Township. Handcrafted greeting cards.
Simple Craftsmen (returning), Darren and Kathy Stanze, Miamisburg. Antiques, home décor, locally hand-crafted items, furniture restoration. FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/simplecraftsmen
Shelby Swihart (returning), West Carrollton. Vintage Christmas décor, handcrafted beaded ornaments, diamond point Christmas art.
Gift Gallery at Barn and Bunk (returning), Melody and Dave Gall, Trenton. Primitives, handcrafted wreaths, florals, handcrafted wood décor. FB page: www.facebook.com/TheGiftGalleryatBarnandBunk
J Leigh Jewelry (returning) Jennifer Fleming, Franklin. Handcrafted jewelry, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings featuring natural stones.
Pics -N- Sticks (returning) John Irvine, Franklin. Photographic cards, hand-carved wood items, hand-sewn items.
A Country Peddler (returning), Karen Williams, Carlisle. Country wares, candles, primitive décor. FB page: www.facebook.com/acountrypeddler
Walnut Hill Jewelry (returning), Lana and Keith Arend, Chautauqua-Miamisburg. Coin and cremation rings, mixed-media bracelets and necklaces, vintage bottle brush trees, and vignettes.

The museum gift shop also carries items related to Franklin and Franklin history including books, ornaments, Wildcat tumblers, prints, and more. Those with questions may call the museum at (937) 746-8295 or email franklinohhistory@gmail.com.

Memberships and donations*

Thank you to these renewing members: Kristy Kinder York, Tom Wiggershaus, Matthew Tinch, Janet Pursley Hollingsworth, Ron Edwards, Quenton Richards, Thelma Maloney, and Glen Riley II.

Thank you for these recent donations: Tom Wiggershaus; Matthew Tinch, in memory of Lawrence P. Tinch; Harriet Foley.

Have you renewed or would you like to join? It's easy to do it online!

*This list is through mid-October. Additional memberships and donations will be listed in the next newsletter.

2025 Events

On-line auction: March 4-9, 2025. We'll begin collecting items in February. Stay tuned for dates.

Plant Sale: May 10, 10 to 3 p.m., at the Harding Museum. We will accept donations on May 9 and May 10. Details TBA.

Additional 2025 events include the Holiday Home Tour (December date TBA); trivia; a quilt exhibit; and re-dedication of the Log Post Office, following repairs by Architectural Reclamation that were funded by a generous grant from Middletown Community Foundation.

Kroger Rewards!

Kroger shoppers: Kroger shoppers: The Kroger Family of Companies is committed to community engagement, positive social impact, and charitable giving at the national and local levels.

One of the ways Kroger does this is via the Kroger Community Rewards program. This program makes fundraising easy by donating to local organizations based on the shopping you do every day. Please consider linking your card to Franklin Area Historical Society. Once you link your Card to FAHS, all you have to do is shop at Kroger and swipe your Shopper’s Card.