Urbana in Champaign County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
John Anderson Ward Farmstead / John Quincy Adams Ward & Edgar Melville Ward
John Anderson Ward Farmstead
John Anderson Ward had this Federal style house constructed from 1823-1825 on land inherited from his father, Urbana's founder Colonel William Ward. The Colonel's will stipulated that a local mason use 26,500 bricks to build the house and be paid $80.00. The original house is thought to have had four rooms, two rooms each on the first and second floors and both divided by central hallways. John and his wife Eleanor Ward reared seven children in the house, two of whom became nationally recognized artists, John Quincy Adams Ward and Edgar Melville Ward. The farmstead, consisting of 172 acres, was also the site of a huge feast held in honor of General William Henry Harrison's visit to Champaign County during his 1840 presidential campaign. Twelve 300 foot-long tables were spread across the lawn where thousands of people from the surrounding countryside dined on barbecued beef and lamb and drank barrels of cider.
John Quincy Adams Ward 1830-1910/Edgar Melville Ward 1839-1915
Two of John Anderson Ward's sons, John Quincy Adams and Edgar Melville, were born and reared here and both achieved artistic fame. John demonstrated an early talent for sculpting, using blue modeling clay from the family farm to create birds, animals, and buildings. At age
Erected 2005 by Guild Galleries Interiors, Champaign County Bicentennial Historical Marker Committee, and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 13-11.)
Marker series. This marker is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection marker series.
Location. 40° 6.198′ N, 83° 45.379′ W. Marker is in Urbana, Ohio, in Champaign County. Marker is at the intersection of High Street and College Street, on the right when traveling south on High Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Urbana OH 43078, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Billy "Single" Clifford /Clifford Theater Bailey and Barclay Halls / Johnny Appleseed (approx. 0.3 miles away); Dayton, Springfield, and Urbana Electric Railway (approx. 0.3 miles away); Xue, Bian, and Sun Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Johnson Manufacturing Company (approx. 0.4 miles away); Champaign County Civil War Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Urbana.
Categories. • Arts, Letters, Music • Politics • Settlements & Settlers •
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on November 24, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 2,481 times since then and 5 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 24, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.