Wilson, John T., Homestead
NE of Seaman on OH 32, Seaman, OHJohn T. Wilson was a noted Ohio politician, abolitionist, and philanthropist. He was a very important historical figure in Adams County. This house, though in poor condition, is the only tangible remains of his life in southern Ohio.
Born near Belfast in Highland County, Ohio in 1811, John T. Wilson moved to northern Adams County in 1832. Mr. Wilson was a large landowner in the village that began to spring up around him and gave the town the name of Tranquility. For twelve years a simple log structure served as his home; then in 1844, he began construction of a rather large, brick house. He designed his house so that one room could be used as a general store. The built-in display cases are still intact. The most significant feature of the home, however, is a secret stairway leading from the store to an upstairs closet. Mr. Wilson was an ardent abolitionist and used this staircase and closet to hide slaves on their trip along the Underground Railroad. The stairway is still intact.
In the fall of 1861, Wilson helped organize the 70th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry and was appointed Captian of Company E of that unit. Although he was fifty years old at the time, Wilson led his company throughout the two-day battle of Shiloh. Due to illness, he was forced to resign his commission and return home. In 1863 he was nominated for the state senate without being a candidate and without his knowledge or consent was elected. He served in the Ohio Senate for two terms (1864-66) and then served as US Representative for three terms (1866-1872). Mr. Wilson had made a fortune as a merchant and landowner and became well known for his philanthropy. Among his large gifts, he gave $50,000 to Adams County for the erection of a children's home (still in use today), $5,000 to Adams County for a Civil War monument, and $150,000 for the establishment of a "poor" fund which is still in use today. From his extensive land holdings, John Wilson sold Serpent Mound to the Peabody Fund of Harvard University for its preservation.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.