Ashland County Historical Society

About Ashland County Historical Society

The Ashland County Historical Society’s mission is to make history come alive through education, preservation, and community engagement. Since its incorporation in 1951, ACHS has grown in size, collection, and connection to our wider communities in uplifting local history. In the 1960s, ACHS oversaw the Ashland College Historical Museum, which was located in the present-day Carriage House at 414 Center Street. By the 1970s, Ashland College had given the Carriage House and the accompanying Manor House, a 1859 historic building on Center Street, to the historical society to use as its permanent museum home. Over the subsequent decades, ACHS grew through the dedication of volunteers and community members who were stalwarts in creating a sense of place for all who live, learn, work, and visit the county. Thanks to the generosity of Eloise Noonan, a longtime volunteer and board member, we were able to construct a state-of-the-art museum building adjacent to the Manor House. Aptly named in her honor, the Noonan House opened in 1999, ushering in a new era of ACHS with office space for professional staff, exhibit space, and eventually the Betty Plank Local History Library and Archives. By 2015, Ashland County leased the Freer Children’s Home to ACHS, the county children’s home from 1907 to the 1990s, which also once served as the county juvenile detention center. Work began in earnest to transform the building at 1260 Center Street. In 2019, ACHS spearheaded the successful nomination process to have the property added to the National Register of Historic Places. After its renovation, ACHS welcomes visitors to explore immersive exhibits, programs, and special events at not one, but three historically significant buildings that document the history of our vibrant county’s historical thread.

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