OWENSVILLE, Ohio — A display of hand-painted, patriotic chairs that started with a small set installed downtown for the America 250 celebration has grown to more than 20 additional chairs on porches, lawns and storefronts across the village, according to the Clermont County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The Owensville Historical Society and the Owensville Business Community placed the original chairs, painted red, white and blue, around town earlier this summer and invited residents to add their own. The visitors bureau, which promotes the display on its Discover Clermont Facebook page, said the response has been strong, with homeowners and business owners painting and decorating chairs of their own and setting them out for passersby to see.
The original chairs sit in flower planters outside the Owensville Historical Museum, the village’s Town Hall and other spots downtown as part of America 250-Ohio, the statewide initiative marking the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. The display also nods to Owensville’s history as a 19th-century furniture-making hub, including chair factories once owned by the Pattison family.
The historical society, based at the former Pattison family home at 410 S. Broadway, says its mission is to encourage preservation and appreciation of the village’s history through community involvement, exhibits and events. The society will continue its America 250 programming this fall with “America 250 Museum Days: Warmth and Memory, Quilts from our Region,” scheduled for Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the museum.
The museum, housed in a building donated to the village in 2003, is normally open to the public on the second Sunday of most months from 1 to 4 p.m.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Clermont County Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Discover Clermont Facebook page.