HISTORIC PRESENCE — The Crew House Museum, located on Main Street in Richmond, was built in 1825-26 by Henry Crew, a native of Virginia who migrated to Richmond in 1814 and built the homestead that housed four generations of the Crew family. Today, the museum features a variety of town memorabilia and boasts a second floor dedicated to Jefferson Union High School items. Remaining summer open house dates are set for noon to 4 p.m. July 27, Aug. 10 and Aug. 24. The museum is owned by the village of Richmond, which works in partnership with the Richmond Community Historical Society, owner of the museum’s contents. -- Contributed

RICHMOND – Wherever his travels have taken him professionally and personally, John Jones has always had an interest in local history.

And that includes his hometown of Richmond.

As the new president of the Richmond Community Historical Society, Jones hopes to see the organization observing its 50th anniversary this year flourish and attract renewed interest in promoting and preserving the town’s history.

“I just recently returned to the community after a number of years globe-trotting, if you will, but it’s important to me to see this preserved,” Jones said. “My family were some of the founders in this community, some of the earliest residents of this community. I think it’s interesting to note that I live five doors down from the house my great-great-great-grandfather built — one of the first in the community.”

“I’d like to see this museum preserved and added to and somebody to take up the torch after we’re gone and just continue on with it,” Jones added. “We don’t want to lose that.”

MUCH TO SEE — Sandy Judy, secretary of the Richmond Community Historical Society, displayed an information table chronicling the nonprofit organization’s 50 years in existence. The society was chartered in 1975. -- Contributed

Jones’ thoughts came during a recent summer open house at the Crew House Museum, located at 34 W. Main St. in Richmond.

The historical society owns the museum contents and works in partnership with the village of Richmond, which owns the building.

Hosted by the historical society, the summer open houses welcome visitors on select Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.

Visitors can browse at their leisure and direct any questions to historical society members on hand.

Other Sunday open houses are scheduled for July 27, Aug. 10 and Aug. 24, all from noon to 4 p.m. Other opportunities to visit can be arranged by calling (740) 765-4534.

SPECIAL ITEMS FOR SALE — Richmond pottery items available for purchase through the Richmond Community Historical Society include crocks for $25 and mugs for $12. Displaying the memorabilia are historical society leaders, from left, Sandy Judy, secretary; John Jones, president; and Marge Andres, vice president. The items are available by calling Judy at (740) 765-4534. The merchandise will be available during the historical society’s Quaker Day festivities, set from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 27. -- Contributed

Today’s museum was home to the Henry Crew family for 146 years, marking its 200th anniversary next year.

The museum features a variety of town memorabilia and boasts a second floor dedicated to Jefferson Union High School items, especially of interest to JUHS classes having access to, as part of their reunion plans.

The historical society’s celebration of its golden anniversary kicked off earlier this year when it embraced a theme of “50 Years of History in our Community,” including for Richmond’s annual Memorial Day parade, which the historical society organizes.

In addition to organizing the Memorial Day parade, the historical society hosts its annual Quaker Day celebration fundraiser, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 27 in the area of the Crew House Museum. It features food, live entertainment and vendors.

Planning for that will begin in earnest when the historical society holds its next meeting at the museum on Tuesday at 7 p.m., according to Jones, who serves in a leadership capacity along with Marge Andres, vice president; Sandy Judy, secretary; and Wendy Byers, treasurer.

Jones identified goals for the 50-year observance as increasing membership; getting younger people interested in local history; arranging for speakers to address topics of local history interest to an audience that would include not only historical society members, but possibly the community and students; promoting tours of the museum; and preparing, come 2026, for the 200th anniversary celebration of the Crew house and the opening of a time capsule.

The historical society, chartered on Jan. 20, 1975, was organized to gather Richmond historical information, to restore and maintain historic objects and places, to establish a museum and to gather and maintain the community’s historical heritage for future generations.

Its initial meeting and election of officers was held Oct. 7, 1975, at Richmond Elementary School. Dwight Miller was the group’s first president.

Other leaders were Bonny Action, first vice president, membership and fundraising; Don Thompson, second vice president and historian; Rose Sill, third vice president, publicity; and Mary Dye, secretary and treasurer.

Trustees of the new organization were Edith McLaughlin, George Lobmiller, Jay Hout, Don Hough, Jim DeVault, Tom Grimm, Dave Rothacker, Harold Kinney and Lara Snyder.

Some of the organization’s early projects included a tour of homes of some of the prominent citizens of Richmond; a sale of calendars featuring old scenes of Richmond; Bonny Acton making a 36-star flag as a contribution by the historical society to Jefferson County’s community project for the bicentennial year; and the designing of a logo to represent the Crew House.

Early open houses were held in the spring and the fall and included craft displays, early harvesting methods and food preservation, war memorabilia, displays of arrowheads, guns, lamps, small collectibles and pottery and a quilt show.

As a fundraiser and forum in which to honor several historical society members, “An Evening of Serenity” was held at the Richmond Presbyterian Church in December 1994. It included a musical slide show accounting of Richmond people and places in winter, with tunes performed on the piano by member H. Lee Kinney.

The theme of the event was “Christmas Carols and Richmond Memories.” Honored for their contributions to the historical society were Mary B. Dye and Edith McLaughlin, with posthumous honors to Dwight Miller and Jay Hout.

Other programs through the years included ones on genealogy, the Yellow Creek area, Richmond College and how to know antiques and how to repair them.

Tours of the Crew House Museum through the years have been enjoyed by various groups, schoolchildren and youth groups, such as Cub Scouts.

The house turned museum was built in 1825-26 by Henry Crew, a native of Virginia who came to Richmond in 1814.

For $85, Crew purchased the lot on which the museum of today sits from Joseph Talbott on Oct. 21, 1817, and constructed a homestead that housed four generations of the Crew family.

In the family name for 146 years and sold 11 times among Crew family members, the house was last occupied by Evelyn “Eppie” Crew, great-granddaughter of Henry and Margaret Crew. She lived there until her death in 1972.

It was then willed to George Lobmiller, a Richmond pharmacist whose intentions to construct a parking lot there became the springboard for historical society interest to have the building preserved as a local landmark.

Richmond in 1815 was primarily a Quaker settlement against slavery. The Crew house was a stop on the Underground Railroad, instrumental in helping many a runaway slave on the road to Canada and freedom.

The historical society, in cooperation with the village, was able to preserve the building through a grant from HUD and with volunteer help.

Contributions of antiques and memorabilia came from community donations. An open house held on Memorial Day in May 1979 celebrated the completion of renovations to the Crew House.

Jones said the historical society’s purpose is the same today as it was five decades ago.

“Our mission after 50 years has not changed — we’re still here to preserve the history of the community. It’s a rich history,” he said.

“A lot of us are descendants of people who moved here over 200 years ago and established this community. There is a lot of history in the community — post-Revolutionary history, history around the Civil War with Morgan’s Raiders — we’re all here to preserve what’s here,” Jones said.

Anyone is welcome to attend historical society meetings or become a member.

Annual dues are $5.

A lifetime membership is $50.

Richmond pottery available for purchase includes crocks for $25 and mugs for $12.

For overall information, call Sandy Judy at (740) 765-4534.

The website is crewhouse.weebly.com.