Russel Wright, Wright Ave., Louisa Wright School

Russel Wright is one of 8 American Designers honored with US postage stamps. Russel's is the one with the knife, fork and spoon.

If you went to Louisa Wright School or have driven down Wright Avenue in Lebanon, you know the name Wright is associated with Lebanon.  But did you know that one of the most famous industrial designers of the 20th century was a Wright from right here in Lebanon?

And did you know the Warren County History Center has a super display of Russel Wright's work? Yes we do!  We are known nationally for this exhibit.

And did you know that at present there is a United States Postage Stamp honoring Russel Wright? Well there is!!!  It's pictured above - the knife, fork and spoon. 

Russel Wright was born and raised in the big white house with the rounded front portico on the east side of South Broadway - as you go up the hill just past the rail road tracks.  It's on the left. Anyway, Russel was born into the pioneer Wright family who were all lawyers and judges and such.  Russel's parents wanted him to follow in the family business so they sent him to Princeton University in New Jersey for pre-law. 

Russel wasn't there very long before the got involved with designing sets for the college drama department.  Pretty soon Princeton was suggesting to the Wright family that Russel really should go to art school, so he went to New York and the rest is history.  We remember him as the Father of American Casual Design and the first person to design for the middle class and put his name on his products.  Ralph Lauren owes it all to Russel.

It's a good story - the story of Russel Wright and his designs. Come to the Warren County History Center and we can tell you all about it!!  Remember, we are open free on Saturdays this winter so you have no excuse!!!!  The farmers market ladies are here with their maple syrup, bread, cookies etc. Yum!  See you sometime between 10am to 4pm.

Presidential Volunteer Service Awards

Pins honoring hours of volunteer service.

We have several RSVP volunteers at our museum. RSVP stands for Retired Senior Volunteer Program. These volunteers work at least one day a week at the museum at a variety of tasks.  They are extremely valuable staff members and make a huge difference in the quality of service we can offer our guests. We encourage everyone to check out the RSVP program. Contact

Dolcee Hoffman

Warren County Community Services, Inc.

570 N. State Rt. 741

Lebanon, OH 45036

513-695-2252

The RSVP program has had a 20% funding cut this past year and has had to delay its appreciation banquet until later in the year.  In the past, volunteers could get some mileage reimbursement for driving to their volunteer destination, but that too has gone by the wayside.

That doesn't seem to matter however. The people signed up with the RSVP program seem to be happy with their work and the satisfaction they get from providing service to the museum seems to be enough compensation.

The local RSVP program managed by Warren County Community Services, may be short of funds this year, but they will be able to recognize local RSVP volunteers through the Presidential Volunteer Service Award program.  Most of our volunteers will qualify for the Silver Medal award.  See the criteria below.

Award Criteria

Any individual, family, or group can receive Presidential recognition for volunteer hours earned over a 12-month period or over the course of a lifetime at home or abroad. The following are the eligibility requirements for each age group:

• Kids: Age 5-14
• Young Adults: Individual Age 15-25
• Adults: Individual Age 26 +

Presidential Volunteer Service Award Criteria

Bronze Level

Kids: 50 to 74 hours
Young Adults: 100 to 174 hours
Adults: 100 to 249 hours
Family & Groups: 200 to 499 hours

Presidential Volunteer Service Award Criteria

Silver Level.

Kids: 75 to 99 hours
Young Adults: 175 to 249 hours
Adults: 250 to 499 hours
Family & Groups: 500 to 999 hours

Presidential Volunteer Service Award Criteria

Gold Level.

Kids: 100 hours or more
Young Adults: 250 hours or more
Adults: 500 hours or more
Family & Groups: 1000 hours or more

President’s Call to Service Award

Presidential Volunteer Service Award Criteria

All Ages
4,000 hours or more of volunteer service (over a lifetime).

Personalized Certificate

Congratulatory Letter from President Barack Obama

Dinner and a Murder





A sell out crowd enjoyed dinner and a murder Saturday evening, February 11, 2012 at the Lebanon Conference and Banquet Center.  The evening, a joint venture of the Lebanon Theatre Company and the Warren County Historical Society featured the play "I'm Getting Murdered in the Morning" a play about a wedding reception with a murdered body on the dance floor.

Damage Control Expert Parker assures the crowd that the murder is no big deal.

Guests dined on a sumptious buffet of baked glazed ham, broccoli casserole, scalloped apples and two salads all fresh made and catered by Marilyn Carter of Carter Catering while the "wedding guests" tried to come to terms with a dead man on the dance floor. 

Brenda wants to get on with the wedding by Eddy isn't so sure.



Sponsor Lebanon Kroger Marketplace baked the wedding cake and the cupcakes.  Many thanks to the Lebanon Theatre Company and all the actors who volunteered their time and effort to make the event a success. Special thanks to Jay Fultz for choosing a wonderful play and directing the production.  Thanks to WCHS Curator's Jessica Thress and Lynley Dunham for staging the wedding reception and to Board Member Bill Rivers and his wife Ann for cleanup services.  A great time was had by all!

She Won Two American Girl Dolls!

The gift shop inside the Warren County History Center sells American Girl books and mini-dolls. Once a year the American Girl company allows us to have a drawing for a full sized American Girl Doll. Sometimes its just one doll and some times its two.  This year the company is launching two new dolls from New Orleans, circa 1850's.   The drawing took place on January 3 and Marah Belle Campbell of Middletown won both dolls.

Marah Belle Campbell with her two full sized American Girl Dolls, Cecile and Marie-Grace of New Orleans circa 1853.

Mary Haven Still Stalled

A year ago our Board of Trustees toured Mary Haven Orphan's Asylum and Children's Home.  We were curious to see if the building was still strong enough to be preserved, conserved or at least moth balled for future re-purposing.

We were all very surprised to find the building in relatively good shape considering the vandalism it had suffered in the last couple of years.  There was a little water in the basement due to the fact that all the copper drain pipes had been stolen and not replaced. A couple of rooms had water damage because the roof had some major holes and was leaking into the building. But by and large, the building sat firm on its stone foundations.  A few rooms had water damage but mostly the walls were in good shape and the floors seemed firm.  New, inexpensive drain pipes and some covering of the holes in the roof would have gone a long way to preserving the building.  It also needed a good cleaning as vagrants had used it as a dumping ground for trash. 

Our Board was ready to start looking for a partner for the restoration and re-use of Mary Haven. The Attorney General of the State of Ohio was expected to find some workable solution regarding the outdated Klingling Trust by the end of April, and we were prepared to move forward at that time. In the meantime we mounted an exhibit about Mary Ann Klingling and Mary Haven at our museum (its still in place and can be viewed during regular museum hours, Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to  4pm).

It's almost a year later and the Attorney General's office still hasn't acted. The Warren County Commissioners hands are tied. The little bit of  money from the original 1867 trust has long since been used to care for the building and the County has been footing the bill for many years out of tax payer dollars.  In the meantime record rains have wrecked havoc on the roof and now the damage to the building is more than serious.  We can't really fault the Commissioners for not spending money to secure the building.  With the economic down turn, it might have been considered irresponsible to spend money to care for a building rather than the people of the county. 

At the same time, to tear down the building would be a waste of a good resource. Mary Haven could become anything from a beautiful development of apartments within the building, to a school, to a center for the arts, just to name a few re-use ideas.  I don't believe for one second that the old saw "its more cost effective to build new then to renovate old" is anything but a bunch of you know what!  A builder who tells me that is not a true craftsman and doesn't have his community's welfare at heart. 

If you would like more information contact us at the Warren County History Center, 513-932-1817 or wchs@wchsmuseum.org. 

Lynley's Sugar Cream Pie

At the dusting party last week, everyone brought a dish to share - each was assigned either salad, side, dessert or roles. Our Archivist/Assit. Curator, Lynley Culpepper brought this delicious pie. It's her son's favorite dessert and reminded us all of creme brulee but without the eggs. Enjoy!

Lynley's Sugar Cream Pie

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 baked pastry pie shell

4 tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons melted butter

2 1/4 cups half and half (you can use whole milk but it won't be a creamy)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon white sugar

Directions: Preheat your oven's broiler to high.

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat combine cornstarch, sugar, butter and half and half.  Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens to a pudding like consistency. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla.   Pour cream mixture into the prepared pie shell. Pour 2 tablespoons melted butter over the pie distributing as evenly as possible. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar evenly. Cover exposed pastry edges with pie ring or a foil ring and broil the pie for one minute or until butter bubbles. Don't let it burn.  Remove pie from oven, refrigerate for at least two hours to firm the filling.

Note:  You could probably substitute a graham cracker crust for the pastry, but pastry is more traditional.





Murder Mystery Wedding Reception Sold Out

As of the end of business today our joint fundraiser with the Lebanon Theatre Company is sold out! Every other February we stage a murder mystery dinner theatre at the museum. This year the play is called "I'm Getting Murdered in the Morning".  It's  a wedding reception with a murder in the middle of it.  The event takes place at our Lebanon Conference & Banquet Center on February 11. 

The staff is busy planning the reception. The color scheme is white and silver with a few touches of pink.  The meal is a catered buffet and there will be wedding cake for dessert.  And a murder mystery to solve of course.