Van Wert County Historical Society
602 N. Washington Street      Van Wert OH 45891      Phone 419 771-9851

Open on Sundays from 2-4:30 p.m. March through November
Special group tours by appointment
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Clark Mansion

MANSION: The old Clark Mansion, sometimes known as the "House of Seven Oaks", was given to the Historical Society in 1955 by William Fostnaught, a local attorney and school teacher, to be used as a museum. The original builders were John O. and Tacey Viella (Baker) Clark in 1895 on property which at that time was a cow pasture at the extreme north end of Van Wert. The home, designed by Mrs. Clark, is now furnished with period furniture and artifacts which have been donated by area residents.

BELL and CORNERSTONE in the front yard are from the old City Hall which was built in 1886 at the southwest corner of Washington & Central Avenues at a cost of $17,000. The building was demolished in the 1950s. The bell was in the tower and rang when there was a fire. By the sequence and number of times the bell was rung, volunteer firemen (and almost everyone in town) knew where the fire was!

 
The stove in the Mansion's kitchen
A large oak hall tree with mirrored back and umbrella holder was a gift from the Marsh Foundation. You can see the room's fireplace in the mirror.
Clock collection along the walls of the grand stairway
A parlor organ in the music room
This was once the manually operated Cavett telephone exchange.
The newly restored parlor of the Clark Mansion
The music room. The Anderson piano on the left was made in Van Wert
The second floor Fabric Room contains old fashioned clothes, hats, sewing machines, quilts and afghans
The second floor Toy Room contains toys for the nineteenth and early twentieth century
William Fostnaught's law office. Mr Fostnaught purchased the Clark Home in 1955 and donated the estate to the Van Wert County Historical Society
The Grand Stairway
The Hamilton Room, upstairs sitting area
Fabric Room, Hat Display
Fabric Room, Quilt Display
Clark Mansion Foyer
The Reed Room, a nineteenth century bedroom

 

 

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Van Wert County Historical Society
P.O. Box 621
602 N. Washington Street
Van Wert OH 45891

Phone 419 771-9851

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