Henry’s Barn at The North Star Preserve
46223 U.S. Rt. 20, Oberlin, OH 44074
Hours: By Appointment or Reservation Only
The North Star Preserve is home to Henry's Barn and is located on U.S. Rt. 20 in Oberlin, OH. The property was donated by Richard and Kathleen Nord with the idea that Henry's Barn would be relocated there.
Henry’s Barn is the Metro Parks’ newest facility. This barn is rich with local history with its origin dating back to the late 1800’s. The barn was previously located on the Johnson Estate in Oberlin. The barn’s namesake was Henry Thomas, a freed slave and caretaker for the Johnson family.
Henry’s Barn has a great deal of character with rustic charm and the conveniences of the modern world. Henry's Barn is available to rent and can accommodate 100 guests.
History
Johnson mansion located on S. Professor St., Oberlin, OH.
In 1885, 20 years after the Civil War came to a close, construction began on the Johnson estate located at 216 South Professor St., Oberlin, OH. Businessman Albert H. Johnson and his wife, Rebecca Johnson (an 1866 graduate of Oberlin College) were both very civically minded and contributed to the growth and success of the entire town of Oberlin. The mansion on the estate's Queen Anne style and the adjacent barn's 2nd empire style revealed the pride and individuality of the time of their construction. The barn itself was a unique piece of architecture boasting a mansion-style roof and timber-frame construction.
Because of Oberlin's openness to integration and equal rights of African-Americans, it was a common place for escaped slaves to relocate to and seek freedom, education and opportunity. At their South Professor St. home, the Johnsons employed several servants, including an African-American former-slave named Henry R. Thomas. He cared for the entire estate, including the mansion, barn, carriages and landscape. Through his years of work with the Johnson family, Henry became a reliable and valuable part of the Johnson home and the town of Oberlin. After Albert Johnson's tragic death in 1899, Henry continued to work for Rebecca Johnson. After her passing in 1915, the Johnson family provided an income for life for Henry.
Henry Thomas was born into slavery in Virginia around 1857 near the banks of the Ohio River. His home of Tyler County was a collection of farms and orchards that depended on slave labor. As a young child, Henry was sold twice. Two Quaker abolitionists named George and Sarah Jenkins operated out of Mount Pleasant, OH near the present-day West Virginia border. They helped to free Henry Thomas and sent him north to find work in the household of their daughter and son-in-law, Rebecca and Albert H. Johnson.
A man named Charles Martin Hall purchased the Johnson estate in 1911 and donated it to Oberlin College. In 2016, when the barn was no longer in use, Oberlin College made the connection with the Lorain County Metro Parks to obtain it. Richard and Kathleen Nord struck up an agreement with the Metro Parks to donate the land on U.S. Rt. 20 as long as the barn was re-imagined on this land in order to celebrate the rich history associated with the original barn on the Johnson estate.
When the original barn that sat on the Johnson estate was dismantled, careful documentation took place to assess how the barn was constructed so that it could be re-assembled again as it was. The original framework was reused and all of the original barn siding has been used as the interior walls of the newly constructed Henry's Barn.
Henry R. Thomas
Historical Documentary
Discover the history behind Henry's Barn at The North Star Preserve in Oberlin, OH. Part of the Lorain County Metro Parks, Henry's Barn has a rich history involving the original barn itself, the Johnson family and Henry R. Thomas, the Barn's namesake.
Hours
This facility is not open to the public as it is reserved for special programming and private events.
Contact
(440) 458-5121 (Administrative Office)
For reservations or inquiries, please contact the administrative offices.