Explore Old Washington through its history and the Guernsey County Fair: stories of Zane’s Trace and the Civil War meet a tradition of events that has endured for nearly two centuries. When planning your trip, you can first decide whether the historic traces or the Fair will shape your stay. If the event is the deciding factor, check the specific dates in advance.
From Zane’s Trace to the Civil War
George and Henry Beymer laid out Old Washington along Zane’s Trace in 1805. The town’s building history also shapes its character: Old Washington is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its large number of pre-Civil War buildings. Its historical context thus spans from the town’s early founding to structures dating from before the Civil War.
A precisely dated event links Old Washington to the Civil War: On July 24, 1863, General John Hunt Morgan and his Confederate cavalry arrived in town. The only Civil War engagement on the National Road in Ohio took place there. The date and location make this event a specific point of reference when learning about the history of the National Road.
Markers, Cemetery, and Schoolhouse
The section of the John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail in Guernsey County includes four interpretive markers: in Cumberland, Senecaville, Lore City, and Old Washington. One of them is in Old Washington. The markers are intended to tell the historical events along the entire trail as a narrative. This section thus connects different place names across the county, while the marker in Old Washington provides a specific link to the town’s history.
Old Washington Cemetery overlooks the village below. The Civil War monument “Morgan’s Raid in Old Washington” stands there near the area where three Confederate soldiers are buried. The cemetery thus combines a view of the village with a memorial to Morgan’s raid and the 1863 engagement.
Another part of the town’s history concerns the preservation of a schoolhouse. Valley School is a typical one-room schoolhouse built around 1903 in Wills Township on County Home Road. Mrs. Wilma Wigginton and a group of Guernsey County teachers saved the building from demolition by moving it to the fairgrounds. Today, the school is located at the Guernsey County Fairgrounds in Old Washington. Its story adds the question of how an older building was preserved to the account of military events.
The Fair and Road Planning
The Guernsey County Fair takes place in Old Washington, Ohio, and is a tradition that has endured for nearly two centuries. Activities mentioned include rides, live entertainment, livestock exhibits and sales, and pie contests. If you want to plan the Fair into your trip, arrange your dates around the specific event days.
For road planning in the broader travel area, the National Road Tour in Ohio is a distinct point of reference: it runs through Guernsey County along two-lane paved roads and side roads. Check road conditions and signage before driving.
The S Bridge is four miles east of Old Washington, Ohio. Built in 1828 as part of the National Road, it is a single-arch stone bridge and is in poor condition. The bridge is now open to pedestrian traffic only; check access information before visiting. This makes it different from the Fair: for the bridge, its condition and access are relevant to a potential visit, while for the event, the specific dates matter.
When looking for a vacation rental, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your stay: would you like to center your trip on the town’s history, or align your travel dates with a visit to the Fair? The history provides a thematic framework; the Fair is the specific date anchor for your planning.
Discover more destinations: Cambridge, Quaker City.
See the broader travel overview: Guernsey.
