New Concord Village Council voted to have Christian and Son, Inc. to complete a comprehensive assessment and scope of work for the William Rainey Harper Cabin at 22 West Main Street and the Robert Francis Harper Memorial Garden next door.
“…it is one of the most long-standing representations of our history that we have in New Concord….To be able to preserve this for future generations is very meaningful to me personally and for our community,” said New Concord Mayor Jennifer Lyle.
The Harper Cabin is located on Main Street in New Concord. Harper Cabin was built in 1834 and has a plaque commemorating William Rainey Harper.
The assessment was funded by local grants from the Cora E. Rogge Memorial Foundation and the Robert E. Fellers and Leona L. Fellers Trust. The grants add up to $10,450 which is the full cost of the assessment.
“Both foundations want to help the people of Muskingum County…every foundation has different restrictions and considerations that they want, and I felt that this project qualified for the support that they wanted to fund, and I was fortunate enough to get a yes from both of them…,” said Lyle.
The cabin was build in 1834 and is the birthplace of William Rainey Harper. Harper was the first president of the University of Chicago after graduating from Muskingum University (College) at 13 and receiving a Ph.D. from Harvard at 19.
The Robert Francis Harper Memorial Garden contains a plaque honoring its namesake. The garden will also see improvements as part of the cabin’s restoration.
“I think it is an amazing picture into the way that people lived and a way to connect with the long history of our community,” said Lyle.
His brother, Robert Francis Harper, was the translator from cuneiform of The Code of Hammurabi which is an ancient set of Babylonian laws dating back to the 1700s BCE.
“They rode their horses to Zanesville to take lessons in Hebrew when they were kids. So they’re obvious prodigies,” said Lyle.
The William Rainey Harper Cabin offered tours during Community Day on Sept. 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The William Rainey Harper Cabin is located on Main Street in New Concord. The cabin gives free tours by appointment.
Lyle also wanted to give credit to Tom O’Grady from Southeast Ohio History Center and Heritage Ohio for their help with the project.
