New Concord can be explored through several clearly distinct themes: the John & Annie Glenn Museum focuses on the life stories of John and Annie Glenn, while the Friendship Trail runs through town and across the Muskingum University campus. Other highlights include Harper’s Cabin, the birthplace of William Rainey Harper, and the history of the university. To plan your visit, you can first decide whether to delve into cultural and local history or focus on one of the routes described here.
A Museum Bridging Biography and History
At the John & Annie Glenn Museum, tours bring the lives of John and Annie Glenn to life through collections and galleries. The subject matter extends beyond the two biographies: visitors can also experience life during the Great Depression and on the home front during World War II. These historical experiences connect with John Glenn’s childhood in New Concord. In this way, personal stories come together with everyday life during two defining periods.
The tours provide the framework through which the museum presents its collections and galleries. If you are interested in the life stories of John and Annie Glenn, you will also gain insight into the historical context of their time. This focus differs from the institutional and biographical connections found at Muskingum University and Harper’s Cabin.
Harper’s Cabin and the History of the University
Built in 1834, Harper’s Cabin is the birthplace of child prodigy William Rainey Harper. Harper later became the first president of the University of Chicago. The cabin’s significance can therefore be understood in biographical terms: New Concord is where he was born, while his later role at a university extends beyond local history.
Another historical point of reference is Muskingum University. Its historical legacy began with a charter granted by the Ohio State Legislature on March 18, 1837, to educate the sons of the farming village of New Concord. The dates 1834 and 1837 mark two distinct historical starting points: Harper’s Cabin represents a birthplace and a biography, while the charter marks the institution’s beginnings. You can therefore consider the university’s development and Harper’s life story as separate, distinct topics.
Friendship Trail and Historic National Road
The nearly 3.5-mile-long Friendship Trail runs from Stormont Street in New Concord to the East Muskingum School Complex on John Glenn Road. It passes through downtown, across the Muskingum University campus, and through a wooded area to the New Concord Pool. Friendship Lake is also part of the trail. The stated distance gives you a concrete sense of the route’s length, helping you consider it as a program of its own.
Another route to consider is the Historic National Road - Ohio, which follows US 40 through New Concord. It offers a different point of orientation than the Friendship Trail: the trail describes a local route with named sections, while the National Road route follows US 40 through town. If you are planning around a route, you can consider these two descriptions separately rather than treating them as the same route.
Your choice of focus depends on the kind of local history you want to explore. The museum centers on guided interpretation and the Glenns’ life stories; Harper’s Cabin and the university’s history offer two other historical points of reference. The Friendship Trail, by contrast, puts a specific route at the center. These distinctions can help you organize your stay around your interests without combining the topics into a single tour.
Discover more destinations: Zanesville, Dresden.
For the broader travel overview: Muskingum.
