Hanby House
Updated: June 1, 2012
Welcome to the official site for the Hanby House State Memorial. Located in Westerville Ohio, Hanby House is the former home of William and Ann (Miller) Hanby. Built in 1846 at the corner of Main and Grove Streets, the Hanby family occupied the house from 1853-1870. It has been moved twice, most recently during the 1930s, to its present site which is just one block west of the original location. William Hanby was the 15th Bishop of the United Brethren in Christ Church. He served as editor of the church newspaper, The Religious Telescope. He was an abolitionist and opened his home as a station on the Underground Railroad. Bishop Hanby was co-founder of Otterbein University. He also worked in the early Temperance Movement against the use of alcohol. Bishop and Ann's oldest child, Benjamin Russel Hanby, was in the second graduating class of Otterbein University in 1858. He was a United Brethren preacher, a teacher, an abolitionist and a composer. During his short life, he composed over 80 songs including Darling Nelly Gray, Up on the Housetop, and Who is He in Yonder Stall? The latter is included in the current United Methodist Hymnal. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also designated as a United Methodist Heritage Landmark. In 2011, the National Park Service Network to Freedom recognized Hanby House as a significant Underground Railroad site. The home contains furniture and personal items from the family. There are two chairs made by Bishop Hanby and a walnut desk made by Benjamin Hanby. The original plates for Benjamin's favorite version of Darling Nelly Gray and a large collection of sheet music and books are at the site. The house is managed by the Westerville Historical Society under agreement with the Ohio Historical Society.
Looking for Volunteer Guides Do you have a few extra weekend hours a month or can you volunteer for special occasions? Contact site manager Pam Allen at hanbyhouse@yahoo.com or call 614 891-6289. Training is provided. No special talents or experience needed other than enjoying history and sharing it with others. |
Ben Hanby's Songs:
To hear "Darling Nelly Gray" sung by the Hanby Singers, click on the Left-hand picture.
To hear "Up on the Housetop" sung by the Hanby Singers, click on the picture of Ben.
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The space for this web site has been provided courtesy of the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church
The content of these home pages are the responsibility of the Webmaster. Please send feedback to hanbyhouse@yahoo.com
Hanby House is managed by the Westerville Historical Society. It is one of 58 historic sites and museums administered by the Ohio Historical Society. The Ohio Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that serves as the state’s partner in preserving and interpreting Ohio’s history, archaeology, natural history and historic architecture. For more information about the Ohio Historical Society and its programs, call 614.297.2300/800.686.6124 or visit www.ohiohistory.org.
All pictures on this site are used with permission. Web Site created by: Jim Allen |