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.
Our House was established in Gallipolis, Ohio in 1819. Its name came from owner Henry Cushing inviting Ohio River travelers to “come over to our house. Henry and his sister Elizabeth Cushing Foster (both members of a prominent family in town) ran the tavern and inn until the 1860s when it was used as a hospital during the Civil War. After the war, it became a private home and later a boarding house. The cost to stay in the inn, seventy-five cents, was considered expensive at the time, making Our House more exclusive than its nearby competitors. One of the most esteemed visitors to Our House was the Revolutionary War General Marquis de Lafayette, who stayed at the inn May 22, 1825 during a tour of the United States.
Dr. Charles E. Holzer purchased Our House in 1933 in memory of the French who settled Gallipolis, known as the French 500. In 1944, the Holzers donated the property to the Ohio Historical Society. Today, the museum is managed by The Friends of Our House Committee and staffed by volunteers. Some points of interest inside of the museum include General Lafayette’s jacket that was left behind during his visit, the Summer Kitchen, taproom, dining room, a large ballroom for social functions, The Tavern Room and artifacts in the attic.