MILFORD, Ohio — The Greater Milford Area Historical Society will open Promont, the city’s 1865 Victorian mansion, for its only public open house of July today, with docent-led tours running from 1 to 4 p.m.
Visitors can wander the mansion’s rooms and grounds at their own pace, according to the historical society. The last tour of the day begins at 3 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults and $3 for students 13 and older; children under 12 are free with a paying adult or member.
Promont was built in 1865 on a hill overlooking Milford and the Little Miami River by William McGrue for professor William George Williams, who originally named the home Beechwood. John M. Pattison, who went on to become Ohio’s 43rd governor, bought the property in 1879.
Pattison used Promont as his residence throughout his time in office. After his Jan. 8, 1906, inauguration, Bright’s disease left him too ill to remain in Columbus, and he returned to Promont that same day, directing state government from the house until his death on June 18, 1906, according to the National Register of Historic Places.
The mansion, built in the Italianate style with a five-story observation tower, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. James Kirgan donated the home to the Greater Milford Area Historical Society in 1983, and it has operated since as a museum featuring period furnishings, rotating exhibits and a local history reference library.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Greater Milford Area Historical Society.