La Vue Premiere, by artist William P. Hopen, was unveiled in October 1990 during the City's Bicentennial. The statue symbolizes the unconquerable spirit of the first settlers. Dan Quayle, former Vice President, and George Voinovich, former Governor of Ohio, were the guests of honor for the unveiling.
This home was built by Peter LeClercq in 1811, of Flemish and common bond brick, for his second wife. LeClercq arrived with the French 500 at the age of 17 and became the clerk of courts and postmaster at Gallipolis for 25 years. Colonel John Vance was given this home in 1837 as a reward for his work on the locks and dam system.
When the first French settlers came to Gallipolis, they arrived at what is now the city park along the Ohio River. Today, the park hosts events from food festivals to live performances. Every year during the Christmas season, the park is decorated with lights and trees paid for by local residents and organizations. The park also features markers commemorating various events in the city’s history.
This tablet was erected in 1940 to honor the "spirit of Marquis de Lafayette" and the nation of France for their assistance in the American Revolution. The Marquis de Lafayette was a young French nobleman who volunteered to fight in the American Revolutionary War. After the war ended and he returned home, Lafayette only visited the United States a few times. On at least one occasion, he stopped by the town of Gallipolis, which had French roots itself, being settled by the so-called French 500. The plaque is just one of many objects in town referencing America’s French ally Lafayette.
“The Spirit of the American Doughboy” statue was erected in the Gallipolis City Park in 1931. The statue was paid for by the local Women’s Auxiliary post to honor World War I veterans from Gallia County, Ohio. It is one of over 160 “Doughboy” (a nickname for WWI soldiers) statues designed by sculptor Ernest Moore Visquesney.
The Gatewood house was built in 1847 and owned by some of Gallipolis’s most prominent residents, including Andrew W. Allemong and Fred M. Bovie, both successful grocers. The most famous owner of the house was writer O. O. McIntyre, who was the most widely-read columnnist of his time. McIntyre grew up in Gallipolis before moving to New York and writing a columnn about the city and its celebrities. He bought Gatewood for his wife in 1933 and spent $50,000 renovating it. The name “Gatewood” came from Mrs. McIntyre’s mother. Unfortunately, O. O. McIntyre died five years later before he could even set foot in the house.
The Colony Theatre opened in 1937 and was operated by three generations of the same family. Similar to many other historic downtown theaters designed for one screen, the Colony Theatre faced declining patronage by the 1980s as modern multiplexes could offer multiple screenings simultaneously while the more elaborate theaters of another era required significant maintenance. Following its closure in the 1990s, the former theater building remained empty for many years and fell into disrepair. Following significant renovations, David and Karen McCarty opened the Colony Club restaurant which features live entertainment and movie-screenings.
Opened in 1895 as an opera house, the Ariel Theatre featured various forms of entertainment, from vaudeville acts to orchestra performances. Business declined in the 1920s and 1930s as movies became more and more popular, leading the theater to rent out its upper floors to local organizations. Eventually, the theater closed in 1963. Thanks to the efforts of local musician Lora Lynn Snow, it reopened in 1990 as a performing arts center and home to the Ohio Valley Symphony. In 2006, the theater was renamed the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre in honor of the woman who bought the theater in 2005 and gave it to the community.
Established in 1987, the Gallia County Convention and Visitors Bureau offers resources and personal assistance for visitors to the area. The office offers several visitors guides and the website also offers contact information for area historical and cultural sites as well as a calendar of events.
This historical marker in Gallipolis commemorates Lord Dunmore’s War, a 1774 conflict between the colony of Virginia and the Native American tribes of the Ohio Valley. The Delaware, Mingo, and Shawnee contested colonial control of the region in a series of skirmishes that reached its climax in the Battle of Point Pleasant on Oct. 10, 1774. In this battle, Virginian soldiers under the command of Colonel Andrew Lewis fought the warriors of Shawnee Chief Cornstalk. The war ended with the agreement that the tribes would remain to the west of the Ohio River, an agreement that facilitated the further settlement of the region by European colonists but had devastating consequences for area's tribes. While some consider this conflict to be the first battle of the American Revolution, the battle is best understood as one of many battles where Native American tribes defended their territory but lacked the capacity to wage a prolonged war without access to supplies. As a result, native tribes often sought alliances with at least one European power.
Henry Cushing’s tavern and inn, Our House, was open from 1819 until 1860. It was a social hub for many Gallipolis residents and a place of rest for travelers along the Ohio River. One of the inn’s most famous guests was General Marquis de Lafayette, a French nobleman who fought in the American Revolution. After Our House closed to serve as a hospital during the Civil War, it was used again as a private home, and later a boarding house. Ultimately it was donated to a local historical society and made into a museum.
This historic frame house demonstrates was operated as a tavern from 1820-1829 by Nathaniel Gates who also served as the county auditor at this time. The tavern was located directly across from the Our House, and according to an interview of the director of the Our House Tavern Museum, the Eagle was known to cater towards men who were looking for trouble while Our House served a more "genteel" crowd. The Holzer family restored the structure during the 1930s and today, the house still retains some of the original glasswork surrounding the entrance.
This art gallery and museum hosts artists and displays their work through exhibits and special programs. The center also works to preserve the cultural history of the Ohio Valley, with exhibits that feature historical items and programs for children and adults. The organization traces its roots back to 1964 when Raymond Hoy, a local furniture dealer, started an effort to create art courses for adults in the area. The idea attracted other supporters and the group rented a room downtown and started an organization that soon began an effort to create a more permanent space. By 1971, the group had secured commitments of over $120,000, allowing them to purchase the current facility and acquire a small art collection that continues to grow.
This hospital was the second operated by pioneering Gallipolis physician Charles E. Holzer and opened in 1917 with 25 beds. As the city grew and demand for medical services increased, additional wings were added to the building with the last addition being completed in 1961. After the present Holzer Health Systems opened on State Route 160 in 1972, this structure was abandoned and the building was unoccupied for many years until it was restored in 1993 and opened as the First Holzer Apartments.
The John Gee Black Historical Center is a museum of African-American culture located in a former church. The church, the first for African Americans in Gallia County, was established as Bethel Church in 1818. Once the original building became worn-down, church trustee and Gallipolis’s largest landowner John Gee donated land for a new church. After his death, the church was renamed the John Gee African Methodist Episcopal Chapel. The church ended its services in 1997 and was donated to the Black community for use as a historical center.
Pine Street Colored Cemetery served as a burial site for African Americans when other local cemeteries were still segregated. It consists of four acres of land donated by John Gee, an African American carpenter, land-owner, and religious leader who invested in multiple buildings in the area. After his wife passed away during childbirth, Gee was not allowed to bury her in the cemetery on Pine Street, leading him to donate land for a “colored” cemetery.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This walking tour includes many of the historic buildings, monuments, and historical markers in Gallipolis. The tour also includes stops at the local CVB and several museums and cultural centers where visitors and residents can learn even more.
