MOUNT PLEASANT — This year, 2023, marks the 75th anniversary of the Historical Society of Mount Pleasant, which was founded in 1948 and is one of Ohio’s oldest active historical organizations.

The historical society originally was formed to assure the preservation of the Ohio Yearly Quaker Meeting House. Since then, it has grown significantly and expanded to include the Mount Pleasant Township of Jefferson County, as well as the surrounding communities, particularly the communities with Quaker influence that do not have their own society to preserve their records.

The society serves as the managing partner for the Quaker Yearly Meeting House and the Free Labor Store, both owned by Ohio History Connection.

These properties, and 35 more, have secured Mount Pleasant’s designation as a National Historic Landmark District.

To celebrate the 75th anniversary, the society plans to have events each month beginning in May and ending in November.

In May, they will host an antique appraisal event featuring appraiser Andrew Richmond of Wipiak Consulting and Appraisals of Marietta. It will be held Saturday in the Mount Pleasant Evangelical Friends Church social hall.

The admission fee of $20 per person will cover three items to be appraised. An entrance fee for people who just want to watch will be $5.

The Friends will have food available for the convenience of participants with any proceeds from the food going to local missions projects.

In June, the society will host a tea party with a theme of 1948. It will be held on the recently renovated courtyard at Elizabeth House, a brick house built in 1836 by John W. Gill.

The annual tour will be held in August and has been a tradition of at least 50 years. This year’s theme is agriculture. A local farm will be on the tour, including a log cabin sugar house that served as a maple sugaring arch, and a collection of more than 50 vintage and antique tractors and a quilt display. There will be demonstrators in traditional arts and crafts. At least 10 historic buildings, including privately owned homes, the society’s buildings and the Quaker Meeting House will be part of the tour.

In October, there will be a day-long event celebrating Moses Fleetwood Walker, who was born in Mount Pleasant in 1856 and was the first African American man to play Major League Baseball. The festivities will include the unveiling of two new signs commemorating Walker. In addition, there will be a vintage ball game. Two teams, one from Columbus and the other from Akron, will play using the rules of the game in place during the mid-19th century.

The season will wrap up Nov. 17, the anniversary of the first meeting 75 years ago, with a 1940s-themed costume party.

The society may be contacted on Facebook at Friends of Historic Mount Pleasant, Ohio or by e-mail at hsmtp@mtp1803.org.