The Worthington Historical Society reached a major preservation milestone this year, cataloging its 20,000th object while also securing state approval for a historical marker honoring Flintridge Terrace—a neighborhood founded by African-American families in the 1960s.
Kate LaLonde, representing the organization at City Council's November 10 budget presentation, highlighted a year of significant growth in both collections and community engagement.
Preserving Three Historic Properties
The Historical Society continues to maintain three properties central to Worthington's history:
- Orange Johnson House — Available by reservation and through ticketed programming and open houses
- Jeffers Mound on Pleasanton Drive
- The Old Rectory — Houses offices, collection storage, and public exhibits on the first floor
The Doll Museum at the Old Rectory currently features "Around the World in 80 Dolls," showcasing Helen Schoedinger's collection of travel dolls acquired during her world travels in the 1920s and 30s. Schoedinger collected a pair of dolls—male and female—from each country she visited, and in 1977 donated over 600 of these dolls to the Historical Society.
The parlor displays historic clothing from the Society's extensive collection. The most recent exhibit, "Ladies on the Move," focused on women's clothing at the turn of the century: bloomers for bicycling and basketball, dusters for driving, and women's riding habits modeled after men's tailoring.
The Old Rectory shop, staffed entirely by volunteers four days a week, generates roughly 10 to 15 percent of the Society's budget through donated and consigned goods from community members.
Breaking the 20,000 Object Mark
The Historical Society has now cataloged over 20,000 objects in its collections management system. LaLonde noted that when she started as a volunteer in 2005, only about a third of the collection was documented digitally.
This year alone, the organization added 1,100 new items—largely photographs and documents from local schools and the Chamber of Commerce.
The cataloging work has accelerated thanks to expanded volunteer capacity. Volunteers now work in the collections area five days a week, using dedicated workstations. This summer, a Smith College student completed 220 paid hours through her school's program and enjoyed the experience enough to stay for an additional three weeks as a volunteer. The Society also hosts two high school students, two college students, and others exploring careers in historic preservation.
Notable recent acquisitions include:
- A history of the American Legion with photographs of every commander since 1919, donated after the Society connected with the Veterans Alliance
- A Griswold family photo album from the 1953 Sesquicentennial with labeled individuals—an unusual find
- Photos from the 2003 National Historic District application
- School photographs, including Arnold Schwarzenegger's visit
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Social Media Reaches New Audiences
The Society's social media campaigns have generated over 156,000 views through creative series including:
- Big Move Monday — Documenting at least 22 buildings that have been moved around Worthington over the years
- Marker Monday — Highlighting historical markers in Worthington and beyond that tell local stories
- 100 Years Back — Weekly looks at the Worthington newspaper from exactly a century ago (the paper started 100 years ago, making 2025 the first year this was possible)
Ghost Tour Doubles Fundraising
The popular annual ghost tour expanded to two nights this year after encouragement from a supporter. LaLonde admitted she had been reluctant, but both nights sold out and the weather cooperated.
Combined with new sponsorship opportunities, the expansion more than doubled the event's fundraising capabilities.
LaLonde was also invited to present about the ghost tour program at the American Association of State and Local History Conference, sharing Worthington's approach with a national audience as part of a panel on Ohio ghost story events.
Flintridge Terrace Historical Marker
The Historical Society worked with families from Flintridge Terrace to apply for an Ohio Historical Marker recognizing the neighborhood's significance. The application was accepted, and the marker is expected to be installed in fall 2026.
The neighborhood was platted in 1962 by Robert and Vera Johnson, who had been looking for a place to buy land and build a home in the Worthington area. After being unable to find a place where they felt welcome—a story echoed in personal statements from other original residents—they purchased a large plot of land off Flint Road and created the neighborhood. Over two dozen African-American families made Flintridge Terrace their home.
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Ongoing Programs and 2026 Plans
The Society continues its Third Grade Days program each May, requiring eight to ten volunteers daily to host all 13 elementary schools from Worthington and local parochial schools. Students visit the Orange Johnson House, St. John's, and take a walking tour through old Worthington.
The Tour of Homes and Gardens returned this year—the event is held every other year—showcasing both historic and more recent architecture from the community. Children's Christmas programming is scheduled for December.
Looking ahead to 2026, the Society is preparing extensive programming for America250 celebrations and plans to participate in Ohio Open Doors, coordinating with Experience Worthington's Beth Decker to create a Worthington-focused itinerary highlighting sites not regularly open to the public.
Community Collaborations
LaLonde emphasized the breadth of community partnerships this year:
- Working with the Worthington Chamber Orchestra on an expanded performance of the "Old Worthington Suite," originally written in 1964. Two family members of the composer attended the recent concert.
- Supporting the Veterans Alliance's World War II event at the Griswold Center in September, which drew a standing-room-only crowd
- Sharing the history of the Worthington Inn at Chamber of Commerce events
- Working with the Daughters of the American Revolution on America250 events
- Participating in Experience Worthington's Art Walk alongside the McConnell Arts Center
Council Praises Society's Work
Council members expressed strong support for the Historical Society's work.
Councilmember Lloyd commended the social media campaign for reaching new audiences and getting people excited about aspects of Worthington history they may not have known existed.
Councilmember Bucher said the community receives tremendous value from the city's investment in the Historical Society. He shared his experience requesting information about the Morris Edition neighborhood and receiving a comprehensive packet of information and photographs within a week. He added that LaLonde's work is extraordinary and expressed hope that she would continue in the role indefinitely.
LaLonde responded that history questions are the enjoyable part of her job.
Council President Dorothy highlighted the Society's partnerships with the Art Walk, McConnell Arts Center, Veterans Memorial, and libraries. After recent travels, she noted that Worthington's museum buildings compare favorably to institutions around the world.
Budget Request
The Historical Society is requesting a 3% increase in grant funding for 2026, consistent with the city's proposal for all grant-funded community organizations to account for inflation and rising costs.