Hanby House

About this museum

Westerville, Ohio was once a stronghold of the temperance movement - it was nicknamed the Dry Capital of the World - and the Hanby House at 160 West Main Street adds another layer to that reform - minded history. William Hanby was a bishop in the United Brethren Church, a songwriter whose works became part of the American popular canon, and an abolitionist whose home served as a documented station on the Underground Railroad. The nineteenth - century house where he lived has been preserved as a museum, and a visit here offers something unusual in the landscape of Ohio heritage sites: the opportunity to stand in a domestic space where the private and the political were deeply intertwined, where the commitment to human dignity expressed itself in everyday acts of hospitality to freedom seekers moving through a hostile landscape. The house's connection to the Underground Railroad is not abstract or speculative; it is documented and local, and the museum's interpretation brings that history into the specific rooms and corners of the building where it actually happened. With a rating of 4.8 stars from reviewing visitors, the Hanby House has made a lasting impression on everyone who has paused long enough to take it seriously. Admission is free, honoring the tradition of public - spirited institutions that made Westerville a center of American reform culture in the nineteenth century. The Hanby House is located at 160 West Main Street in Westerville, Ohio. Check local Ohio historical society resources for current visiting hours and guided tour availability. For visitors exploring the greater Columbus area, Hanby House offers a profound and genuinely moving counterpoint to more conventional historical attractions.