Wolcott House Museum and Maumee Valley Historical Society
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Built by James Wolcott and his wife, Mary Wells, the Wolcott House began as a log home and evolved into a beautiful 14-room Federal-style mansion between the years 1827 and 1836. Wolcott was a successful merchant and shipbuilder, operating a warehouse next to the Maumee River and building steamships. Wolcott also served as a judge and politician. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the house contains period furnishings and decorative arts owned by typical middle-class Maumee families of the day. The house is part of a larger museum complex that features a number of other historical buildings including a church, schoolhouse, and log cabin. The site is operated by the Maumee Valley Historical Society.
Images
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The roots of the Maumee Valley Historical Society extends back to 1864 when a group of early pioneers and entrepreneurs came together to form the Maumee Valley Pioneer Association. In 1957 Rilla Hull, the last descendant to live in the Wolcott family home, left the building and grounds to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church with the hope that it would become a museum to honor the early settlers of the Maumee Valley.
Sources
"Wolcott House." The Historical Marker Database. Accessed July 16, 2018. https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=27023.