Columbus Neighborhoods
Ohio Village: A Living History
Clip: Season 8 Episode 24 | 9m 40sVideo has Closed Captions
The Ohio Village gives a glimpse into 19th century life of a small town.
In 1974, the Ohio Village opened to the public offering a glimpse into 19th century life of a small town. Architectural historian Jeff Darbee gets a tour of the village at the Ohio History Connection in Columbus to learn more about its history.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
Columbus Neighborhoods is a local public television program presented by WOSU
Columbus Neighborhoods
Ohio Village: A Living History
Clip: Season 8 Episode 24 | 9m 40sVideo has Closed Captions
In 1974, the Ohio Village opened to the public offering a glimpse into 19th century life of a small town. Architectural historian Jeff Darbee gets a tour of the village at the Ohio History Connection in Columbus to learn more about its history.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch Columbus Neighborhoods
Columbus Neighborhoods is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship>>> IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HISTORY THEN YOU'VE GOT TO GO TO THE OHIO HISTORY CENTER ON 17th AVENUE IN COLUMBUS.
YOU CAN LEARN A LOT ABOUT HISTORY, BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY THING.
THERE'S ALSO OHIO VILLAGE WHICH WAS BUILT TO CREATE THE SENSE OF A VILLAGE OF THE 19th CENTURY.
WE'RE GOING TO VISIT TODAY AND TALK TO SOME PEOPLE ABOUT WHERE THE IDEA CAME FROM, HOW THEY USE THE VILLAGE TODAY, I THINK WE'LL HAVE A PRETTY INTERESTING VISIT.
!
!musiC@!!!musiC@!
>> HELLO, MEGAN.
>> GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> THIGHS TO SEE YOU.
THANKS FOR -- NICE TO SEE YOU.
THANKS FOR INVITING US.
>> WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> IT'S BEEN HERE A WHILE.
>> YES.
OHIO VILLAGE COMES OUT OF THIS IDEA OF HAVING A LIVING HISTORY SITE, PLACES THAT ARE EXISTING LIKE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG AND GREENFIELD VILLAGE.
THERE WAS THIS TRADITION THAT WAS POPPING UP OF THESE MOVING HISTORY PLACES.
UNLIKE THOSE, WE HAVE NO HISTORIC BUILDINGS.
THESE ARE ALL BUILDINGS THAT WERE BUILT SPECIFICALLY TO BE HERE AT OHIO VILLAGE.
TO REPRESENT WHAT WOULD BE IN A TOWN IN THE MID 19th CENTURY.
>> SO IT'S A RURAL, NOT A COUNTY SEAT, BUT WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF A COUNTY YOU MIGHT SAY.
>> YEAH.
AND IN THAT TIME PERIOD, THERE PROXIMITY THAT WE ARE NOW TO DOWNTOWN, WHICH IS REALLY NOTHING, WOULD HAVE BEEN THE COUNTRY.
AND SO WE CAN ALSO TALK ABOUT THAT CONCEPTUALLY IN ACTUAL SPACE OF HOW CITIES HAVE GROWN.
>> I'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO A TOUR AROUND, IF YOU'RE READY TO START OUT.
>> LET'S GO.
>> LET'S HAVE A LOOK.
>> YEAH.
GREAT.
THE FIRST BUILDING I'D LIKE TO TAKE YOU IN IS OUR SCHOOL IN THE OHIO VILLAGE.
>> EVERY VILLAGE NEEDS A SCHOOL.
EDUCATION WAS IMPORTANT.
!
!musiC@!!!musiC@!
OH, SOMETHING SEEMS FAMILIAR.
>> YEAH, AND IT'S IN SOME WAYS FAMILIAR AND IN SOME WAYS DIFFERENT.
THIS BUILDING WAS ADDED TO OHIO VILLAGE AFTER WE OPENED.
WE ACTUALLY OPENED WITHOUT A SCHOOL IN 1974, AND IT CAME ON LATER.
IT'S A VERY TYPICAL STYLE.
IF YOU DRIVE ANYWHERE AROUND THIS COUNTRY, YOU SEE A BUILDING THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS, IT WAS PROBABLY A SCHOOL, AND IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE CHURCH, AS WELL.
>> HOW DO YOU DO THE INTERPRETATION IN A SPACE LIKE THIS?
DO YOU HAVE SOMEONE REPRESENTING -- >> YEAH, OFTENTIMES YOU HAVE A TEACHER WHO'S RUNNING THE ONE-ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE, HAVING ALL THE KIDS SIT TOGETHER, ALL THE GRADES TOGETHER, A CONCEPT THAT NOT MANY KIDS TODAY HAVE GROWN UP WITH GENERATIONALLY.
AND TALKING ABOUT THE DUNCE CAP AND HOW DISCIPLINE WAS DIFFERENT THAN IT IS TODAY, AND THAT EVERYBODY WOULD BE DOING THEIR LESSONS TOGETHER.
>> MY FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE I LEARNED SOMETHING QUICKLY.
THERE WAS AN INK WELL, AND YOU CAN SEE IN THESE DESKS, THERE'S ROOM.
I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS AN INK WELL.
I SAW A REFLECTION OF MY EYE AND STUCK MY FINGER IN, AND IT CAME OUT BLUE.
I LEARNED REALLY FAST.
>> LESSON LEARNED.
>> YES.
ENOUGH'S GOING TODAY.
I KNOW THERE'S MORE TO SEE.
>> LET'S GO TO THE NEXT BUILDING.
>> ALL RIGHT.
!
!musiC@!!!musiC@!
>> NOW WE'RE ENTERING OUR TOWN HALL.
>> NICE PUBLIC SPACE.
WAS THIS BASED ON THE DESIGN OF A SPECIFIC TOWN HALL SOMEWHERE OR MORE OF A COMPOSITE?
>> MORE OF A COMPOSITE TRYING TO BE REPRESENTATIVE OF TOWN HALLS OF THIS TIME PERIOD AND THE SIZE OF VILLAGE.
>> A GOOD SIZED ROOM CAN SEAT PROBABLY 100 OR SO.
I NOTICE THERE ARE PLACES FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR THE MAYOR.
A STAGE, ENOUGH TO GET PEOPLE AHEAD OF THE CROWD.
A LECTERN FOR SPEAKING.
>> VERY SIMPLE, USED FOR A LOT OF THINGS.
THERE COULD HAVE BEEN MUSIC.
THERE COULD HAVE BEEN CHURCH PROGRAMS HERE.
THEN IT ALLOWS US TO DO OTHER SORTS OF PROGRAMMING.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE SET UP FOR CHESS CLUB.
WE HAVE A PLEASURES OF THE CUP EVENT WHERE THERE'S DRINKING AND GAMES DURING ALL HOLLOW'S EVE.
THIS WOULD BE A SPACE WHERE YOU'D BE DOING DANCING.
>> PEOPLE CAN CONTACT THE OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION TO SEE ABOUT USE OF THIS BUILDING?
>> WE DO EVENT AND COMMUNITY RENTALS IN ADDITION TO OUR OWN PROGRAMMING.
>> GREAT, GREAT.
WELL, I'M LEARNING MORE AND MORE.
SHALL WE MOVE ON?
>> YEAH.
LET'S GO ON TO THE NEXT BUILDING.
!
!musiC@!!!musiC@!
WE ARE COMING UP ON THE TOWN SQUARE, AND OHIO VILLAGE IS DESIGNED AROUND THE SQUARE LIKE MANY OTHER TOWNS WOULD HAVE BEEN.
AND YOU SEE A VARIETY OF OTHER BUILDINGS.
WE'VE GOT OUR PHARMACY AND OUR BAKERY.
THERE'S A BANK.
AND THERE'S DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURAL STYLES HERE BECAUSE EVEN IF A TOWN WE WERE SHOWING IN 1860, WE'D HAVE OTHER BUILDINGS.
BUT WHAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO SHOW YOU NEXT IS OUR HOTEL.
>> ANY GOOD TOWN WOULD HAVE A HOTEL TO WELCOME THE VISITORS.
!
!musiC@!!!musiC@!
>> WELCOME TO THE HOTEL LOBBY.
>> OH, THAT'S A PRETTY CLASSY PLACE.
>> YEAH, AND YOU CAN SEE THE BARBER, YOU CAN CHECK IN AT THE HOTEL DESK.
THERE'S ALSO A TAP ROOM.
WE'LL WALK ON THROUGH UNTIL THE DINING ROOM.
>> OH, YEAH.
THIS DEFINITELY HAS TO BE THE NICEST SPACE IN THE WHOLE HOTEL.
THIS WOULD BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?
IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR GUESTS.
THOSE DAYS WERE MEALS TYPICALLY INCLUDED IN A HOTEL ROOM?
>> OFTENTIMES YOU COULD ADD ON WHAT YOU WANTED.
MAYBE YOU'RE PAYING A FEW PENNIES OR DOLLARS FOR A HOTEL ROOM, OR MAYBE JUST YOUR SPOT IN THE BED, AND THEN ADDING A MEAL ON AS PART OF YOUR STAY.
JUST DEPENDING ON HOW RICH YOU WERE AS A TRAVELER AND HOW LONG YOU WERE STAYING.
>> WHAT WAS THE TYPICAL ARRANGEMENTS IN THOSE DAYS?
WE HAVE DIFFERENT STANDARD TODAY.
>> WE DO.
IT SOMETIMES IF YOU WERE A SINGLE TRAVELER OR DRIVER, BRINGING A HORSE AND BUGGY, YOU MAY JUST BE BUYING SPACE IN A BED, IN A BED THAT YOU MAY SHARE WITH MULTIPLE PEOPLE.
THAT CAN GO UP TO HAVING A PRIVATE ROOM.
BUT JUST PAYING FOR THE PLACE TO LAY DOWN WAS AN OPTION FOR MANY.
>> WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN TYPICAL RATES IN THOSE DAYS IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU MIGHT PAY JUST LIKE SPACE IN A BED?
UNDER $1 -- >> PAYING UNDER $1 FOR A NIGHT.
THE SPACE IN A BED.
THAT CHANGES THROUGH THE 19th CENTURY, BUT IN MID 19th CENTURY THAT STILL WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY FOR SOMEONE TRAVELING THROUGH.
>> YEAH.
I'M ASSUING $300 A YEAR WAS A TYPICAL INCOME.
>> TO PAY 50 CENTS TO SLEEP IN A BED WITH SOMEONE, IT'S NOT AN INEXPENSIVE PROPOSITION.
>> BIG CHUNK OF MONEY FOR PEOPLE IN THOSE DAYS.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING, AND IT'S FINISHED NICELY.
AGAIN, THIS IS PROBABLY A COMPOSITE OF TYPICAL HOTELS OF THE ERA NOT DESIGNED TO BE A SPECIFIC DUPLICATE OF ONE.
>> EXACTLY.
AND IT'S AN ITALIAN-STYLE BUILDING.
IT IS A FANCIER BUILDING IN TOWN BECAUSE IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A PUBLIC USE SPACE.
IT'S A REVENUE-GENERATING BUSINESS.
>> I THINK THERE'S EVEN MORE.
I THINK WE'RE NOT DONE WITH OHIO VILLAGE YET.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
I HAVE ONE MORE PLACE I'D LIKE TO TAKE YOU.
>> LET'S HAVE A LOOK.
>> I CAN LEAD THE WAY.
>> THANK YOU.
THAT'S A GOOD-SIZED GARDEN PROTECTED BY A FENCE.
WOULD THAT HAVE BEEN PRIVATE OR SHARED BY SEVERAL PEOPLE?
>> THIS IS A KITCHEN GARDEN FOR THE SCHMIDT HOUSE.
SO VEGETABLES, HERBS, SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE TYPICAL AT A FARMYARD.
>> I THINK I SEE WHERE WE'RE HEADED NEXT.
THAT IS QUITE A BUILDING.
>> YEAH, THIS IS OUR OHIO VILLAGE CHURCH.
THE LAST STOP I WANT TO SHOW YOU INSIDE.
!
!musiC@!!!musiC@!
>> I NOTICE THE LIGHTING LEVEL IS FAIRLY LOW.
IT'S REPRESENTING GAS LIGHTING OR KEROSENE.
THESE OBVIOUSLY ARE ELECTRIC, BUT THAT'S THE IDEA, TO GIVE A SENSE OF WHAT THE LIGHTING WAS LIKE.
>> YEAH.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT WOULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE DURING THE TIME PERIOD.
>> TOO, THIS IS A NON-DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH, IT DOESN'T REPRESENT A SPECIFIC RELIGION, IT'S INTENDED FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF A CHURCH OF THAT PERIOD.
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
LIKE EVERYTHING IN OHIO VILLAGE, IT'S MEANT TO BE REPRESENTATIVE.
THAT WAY MANY PEOPLE CAN SEE THEMSELVES IN IT AND CONNECT WITH A STORY.
>> SPEAKING OF CONNECTION, IT'S THROUGH THE INTERPRETERS HERE THAT YOU REALLY MAKE THAT CONNECTION PERSON TO PERSON.
IF SOMEBODY'S INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT THIS OR EVEN BECOMING AN INTERPRETER, WHAT'S INVOLVED?
>> ACTUALLY I HAVE A COLLEAGUE WHO'S GOING TO MEET YOU OUT IN THE TOWN SQUARE WHO CAN TELL YOU ABOUT IT.
HEATS AN OHIO VILLAGER.
>> WELL, I BETTER GO FIND HIM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IT'S BEEN A GREAT VISIT.
I LEARNED A LOT MORE THAN I KNEW BEFORE.
AND I APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> BYE-BYE.
!
!musiC@!!!musiC@!
>> HELLO.
>> HI.
>> I UNDERSTAND I SHOULD COME TO YOU TO LEARN ABOUT INTERPRETATION AT OHIO VILLAGE.
>> YEAH, I'D LOVE TO CHAT WITH YOU.
>> HOW WOULD SOMEONE TRAIN FOR LEARNING INTERPRETATION?
YOU NEED A GOOD KNOWLEDGE BASE.
>> YEAH.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING THAT GOES INTO IT.
RESEARCH IS ALSO A BIG PART OF IT.
SO HERE WE ACTUALLY USE COMPOSITE CHARACTERS.
WE ARE NOT PORTRAYING ANY SPECIFIC ONE PERSON FROM HISTORY.
WE TAKE FROM NUMEROUS DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES, AND WE PUT THAT ALL TOGETHER.
YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO REALLY CAPTURE YOUR AUDIENCE, WHETHER YOU ARE THE MAYOR OR JUST SOMEBODY WORKING AT THE VILLAGE.
>> THANK YOU.
I'VE LEARNED A LOT TODAY.
I THINK I'M GOING TO TAKE A STROLL THROUGH THE 19th CENTURY.
>> VERY GOOD.
AS THE MAYOR OF OHIO VILLAGE, ENJOY YOUR VISIT.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
!
!musiC@!!
!musiC@!
Video has Closed Captions
Step back in time with visits to the Ohio Village and the Mansfield Reformatory. (30s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipColumbus Neighborhoods is a local public television program presented by WOSU