Embark on a captivating journey through the wondrous past of Seneca County, Ohio, with the Secrets of Seneca County Historical Driving Tour! The next stop on the journey is: Melmore Town Hall (OH-67, Melmore OH 44845, Stop #6)
The Melmore Town Hall and Odd Fellow Lodge everyone knows today was once the Eden Township Hall. Eden Township was formed in 1821 while it was still an area within Sandusky County. At the organization of Seneca County on April 1st, 1824, Eden’s population exceeded that of the other townships in the new county. The survey and “Plan of the Town of Melmore” was recorded in 1826.
This two-story brick Eden Township Hall was completed in 1911 at a contracted cost of $3419.74 by H. J. Dryfuse of Bloomville. The great fire of 1908 had consumed the entire business row of Melmore, including the prior wooden Eden Township Hall. The front portion were the township offices and the balance of the building was, and still is, a meeting hall with stage and a seating capacity of 150.
The Eden Township Hall has been home to many activities over the years; Christmas programs, graduations, lecture series, plays, farmer institutes, concerts, musicals, and commencements. 1936 was the last Melmore commencement that was held in the hall. Township men went to the hall to register for the draft during World War II.
Township Trustees have maintained, upgraded, and improved the building and hall over the years. A very unique feature of the hall was the old stage curtain containing early advertising from local businesses. In the 1990s, that deteriorated curtain with the advertising was professionally recreated on the wall at the back of the stage. The Mohawk Historical Society purchased the hall from the Township Trustees in December of 2014 at a price of $25,000. The Society has made some additional improvements and renamed it Melmore Town Hall. The old hall currently hosts six to ten public performances a year.
