Members of the Preservation Ohio Board of Trustees and guests had the opportunity to visit the interior of the Richwood Town Hall & Opera House on July 16, 2020. The 1890 brick structure was built on a monumental scale for a small Ohio village, and has served in many roles during its 130 year history — opera house, town hall, movie theatre, and fire department.
Sitting at 101 South Franklin Street, the Town Hall is an icon of the community; its clock tower adorns banners hanging on city lightposts. It is current vacant and is owned by the Village of Richwood. A recent collapse of the upper floor ceiling has created some urgency for action to preserve the building.
In Richwood, we were welcomed by Mayor Scott Jerew, who conducted a tour of the entire Town Hall — from basement to clock tower. A good conversation with the Mayor touched on preservation possibilities.
Photos from are visit are below. Click two times on any for a full-sized image. For more recent travels with Preservation Ohio, our “On the Road” page can be accessed here.