Ohio History Connection

Dr. Betsy Hedler, who serves as the Local History Services Program Manager for the Ohio History Connection, was honored as the 2024 Museum Advocate award winner by the Ohio Museums Association. The Museum Advocate award recognizes champions of the growth and sustainability of Ohio museums, and for more than two decades at the Ohio History Connection, our Dr. Betsy has done just that. She is pictured with Christie M. Weininger (left), President of the OMA Board of Trustees and executive director of THE RUTHERFORD B HAYES PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUMS, an Ohio History Connection site in Fremont, after receiving the award on March 30 during the annual OMA Awards Dinner at the OMA’s 2025 Annual Conference in Athens.

The Ohio History Fund has awarded 12 grants to history and cultural organizations across the state, funding projects that help preserve and share Ohio’s stories. Thanks to your voluntary tax return donations, we’ve awarded $189,660 this year—our second-highest amount ever! Last week, we hit the road to celebrate these incredible grant recipients: 📍Marion County Federation of Women's Clubs 📍Pike Heritage Museum Stay tuned for more highlights from the last week of our Ohio History Fund Grant Road Trip! ✅ Want to support history in your community? Donate a portion of your state tax refund to the Ohio History Fund (Line 26e). Your support has helped fund 149 history projects since 2013! Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gmPmZ93f. #OhioHistory #HistoryFund #PreservationWorksForOhio #OhioHistoryFundRoadTrip

The Ohio History Fund has awarded 12 grants to history and cultural organizations across the state, funding projects that help preserve and share Ohio’s stories. Thanks to your voluntary tax return donations, we’ve awarded $189,660 this year—our second-highest amount ever! Last week, we hit the road to celebrate these incredible grant recipients: 📍 Green Lawn Abbey Preservation Association 📍 Cincinnati Parks 📍 The Lorain Historical Society 📍 Women Religious Archives Collaborative 📍 Karamu House 📍 Lakeside Heritage Society 📍 TRUMBULL COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Stay tuned for more highlights from our Ohio History Fund Grant Road Trip! ✅ Want to support history in your community? Donate a portion of your state tax refund to the Ohio History Fund (Line 26e). Your support has helped fund 149 history projects since 2013! Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gmPmZ93f. #OhioHistory #HistoryFund #PreservationWorksForOhio #OhioHistoryFundRoadTrip

We were saddened to learn of the passing of Thomas V. Chema over the weekend. Chema, of Westlake, led the Ohio History Connection Board of Trustees as its President from 2018 to 2022. Overall, he served on the board from 2004 to 2023. “One of the many accomplishments of Tom‘s career was to have a profound effect on the Ohio History Connection,” said Charles R. Moses, the current President of the Ohio History Connection Board of Trustees. “His experience and insight were invaluable to the organization. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we extend our sincere sympathy and gratitude to Tom’s family, and the many people he touched throughout his career.” Chema, who was a native of East Liverpool, was widely recognized as an expert on energy and telecommunications economics and regulation, infrastructure planning and developing public/private partnerships. He brought many of those skills to bear during his leadership of our board. “Tom led our board during an instrumental period that brought several big projects to fruition like the Collections Care Center and UNESCO World Heritage List Inscription,” said Megan Wood, Executive Director and CEO of the Ohio History Connection. “He made an incredible impact on our state and its history.” For more about Chema’s contributions to Ohio, go to https://ow.ly/Q9Um50VmtmM.

A historic Columbus landmark is getting a much-needed restoration thanks to the Ohio History Fund and generous Ohio taxpayers! Yesterday, the Green Lawn Abbey Preservation Association received over $8,000 to restore an original stained glass window. Click the link below to watch WCMH-TV, NBC4, nbc4i.com's coverage of the story. Want to help preserve Ohio's history? Your tax refund can help! Check Line 26e when filing your state taxes to support the Ohio History Fund, a program that has funded nearly 150 projects since 2013! Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gmPmZ93f #ohiohistory #preservationworksforohio #ohiohistoryfund

Wednesday we celebrated Ohio’s 222nd birthday, the 200th Anniversary of the Ohio & Erie Canal and the Buckeye State's connection to the rest of the world at our annual Statehood Day event! Special thanks to our attendees, panelists, speakers, award & grant recipients, exhibitors and staff who made it a success. See you next year! #OhioHistory #StatehoodDay

Earlier this month, Diamond Crowder, our amazing Underrepresented Communities Survey & National Register Manager, had the incredible honor of attending Governor Mike DeWine and the First Lady's Black History Month Reception at the Governor's residence. The event was a fantastic celebration of Black History, bringing together passionate Ohio professionals from across the state who work tirelessly to preserve and promote Black history. #BlackHistoryMonth #PreservationWorksforOhio #ohiohistory

Thanks to Bryn Du Mansion for hosting Executive Director and CEO Megan Wood to present on the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks for the Life Local series last night.

Thank you to The International Center (Indianapolis) for hosting Ohio History Connection staff in Indianapolis last week to talk about the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks and its regional implications. #OhioHistory #HopewellEarthworks

🏗️ Revitalizing Downtown Columbus: A Historic Transformation 🏗️ Today, State Senator Hearcel F. Craig, State Representative Joe Miller, Kylie Fauber (Legislative Aide to State Representative Bob Peterson), Jeff Edwards and Tom Marano of The Edwards Companies and Ohio History Connection toured the Madison’s Department Store and White-Haines buildings to see firsthand how the Ohio Historic Tax Credit Program has helped breathe new life into these historic landmarks. The Madison and White-Haines Block, constructed between 1898 and 1913, once housed Madison’s Department Store, a downtown Columbus staple from the 1940s to the 1990s. In 2020, Eclipse Real Estate, a sister company of The Edwards Companies led by Jeff Edwards, undertook a $60.6-million restoration project to preserve the iconic terra cotta façade and historic architectural elements while adapting the buildings for modern use. The redevelopment retained ground-floor retail and restaurant spaces while introducing new apartments above, revitalizing the North High and Gay Street corridor. This project exemplifies the impact of historic preservation and urban revitalization, blending history, modern living and community engagement to ensure Columbus’s past remains a vibrant part of its future. #OhioHistory #HistoricPreservation #ColumbusRevitalization #TaxCreditsAtWork #PreservationWorksForOhio Image (Left to Right): Kevin Boehner (Ohio History Connection), Kylie Fauber (Legislative Aide to Rep. Peterson), Mariangela Pfister (Ohio History Connection), Jeff Edwards, Sen. Hearcel Craig, State Rep. Joe Miller, and Tom Marano (The Edwards Companies).