For most Ohioans approaching us from the west, Belmont County begins with a stop in Barnesville. The village is just finishing a major downtown streetscaping to go with extensive private renovations of its Victorian downtown. Like nearby Mt. Pleasant, Barnesville began as a Quaker (Society of Friends) town and was a very active station on the Underground Railroad. The calm, determined strength of those years has never left Barnesville, but that doesn't mean it's a somber place. Deep pools of shade on broad tree-lined ( and very safe) streets, friendly people who welcome you on your first visit and greet you like an old friend on your second, lots of little shops and plenty of good food make Barnesville a refreshing stop on anybody's travel agenda.

Belmont County Museum
26 rooms of Victorian elegance greet visitors to the Belmont County Museum at 532 North Chestnut Street in Barnesville. From the 24-karat gold trim on the tile to the intricate plaster moldings, the finest of Victorian craftsmanship adorns every bit of this grand house. The downstairs rooms are furnished as they were when the house was new; the upstairs rooms house Belmont County Civil War and other memorabilia. The house is open Thursday through Sunday from 1-4:30 PM from May 4 to October 1, with the last tour beginning at 4 PM, or year-round by appointment. Admission for adults is $4, children 7 to 18 $1, children under 6 free. There is a minimum 5-person fee for specially arranged tours. Debbie Rockwell is the head docent. For further information or to arrange a tour, call (614)-425-2926.

B&O Depot
Barnesville's development committee and its Girl Scouts share the credit for the preservation of the town's 1913 depot. When CSX abandoned its line through Barnesville in 1987, the depot was in terrible condition. Within a few months, the town had raised the railroad's asking price and countless volunteers began the hard work of cleanup and restoration. The Girl Scouts got a national award for their tireless campaign. Barnesville got a beautifully restored building that now serves as a community center and the development committee's office. During the Pumpkin Festival in September, as well as the depot's own strawberry festival in June, the building and its outbuilding, a former B&O caboose, are alive with exhibits and activities.

Friends Boarding School and Stillwater Meeting House
Olney Friends Boarding School is one of the oldest schools in our area. It maintains small classes, multicultural student body and a curriculum grounded in Quaker traditions of peaceful service. Olney shares its campus with the Stillwater Meeting House, once the home of the Ohio Yearly Meeting of Friends and now the home of Stillwater Friends Meeting. There is a museum of Quaker history on the grounds, open by appointment and during special community events.

Hutton Memorial Library
This library is just completing a major renovation and addition. Visitors to the genealogy room, which has always been one of the best in the local area, will find it in even better quarters this summer.