Kent then and now: The Historical Importance
While walking west down Main Street of Kent, Ohio, local residents and students pass brand new Kent Municipal Courthouse before reaching the heart of downtown, popular for many new renovations in the last decade. While new buildings and easier navigation routes have created more jobs and easier commutes for residents and visitors of the city of Kent, the root of it all has a history worth being preserved. The Kent Historical Society Museum and Archive located on Main Street does just that and has been doing so since 1971.
The Kent Historical Society’s mission is to be the primary historic resource and reference center for the city. It is the leading center for collections and preservations of Kent’s heritage through various historical exhibits and educational programs held for the community to become involved in. KHS follows a mission dedicated to documenting Kent history through artifacts, records and documents from people living in the Kent community since the 1800’s.
In 1971, a group of individuals in the community of Kent formed a committee dedicated to the preservation of the city’s historical heritage. In 1975, the first committee of the Kent Historical Society bought the 1875 Kent Railway Station among its threatened deconstruction. It’s first offices were located on the second floor of the station, which is now home of Kent’s own Pufferbelly restaurant.
In 2006, the offices and museum of the Kent Historical Society moved to 234 South Water Street, where it remained until 2011 when it moved to the Clapp-Woodward house located on Main Street and still houses as its permanent headquarters.
Today, those interested in Historical Kent can visit the museum on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. or weekdays by appointment. There, you can speak with directors of the museum and obtain knowledge from a tour of the Clapp-Woodward house.
Some residents of Kent then and now, such as husband and wife Dr. John and Jean Jacobs, helped restore the house and continue to help with tours and historical filing. The couple has been living in the city of Kent since the day they were born.
“John’s 87 and I’m 85,” Jean said. “We were both born and raised in Kent.”
With the historical knowledge Jean has about the city of Kent, the tour included a brief history of the old Kent railway, the mill, barbershops and drugstores downtown and more. “Most people don’t realize that Kent used to be called Franklin Mills,” Jean said. “But that was a very long time ago.” Without judgment, Jean spoke of how she felt about historical Kent versus new, renovated Kent.
“John and I have watched this place changed from top to bottom,” Jean said. “It was a remarkable change and that’s why it’s important to have the Historical Society around. It shows people how far Kent has come.”
From buildings being knocked down, to trees and railroads being removed, Jean has seen the city at it’s best and worst, but sees it all in good light.
[pullquote]“Every city has its good and bad, I’ve just seen it all.” -Jean Jacobs[/pullquote]
“It’s very important that people are aware of Historical Kent,” Jean said. “None of these new places would be here without it.” She explained the importance through a series of stories from her own past in Tree City while giving a tour of the Kent Historical Society. “You have to come to a place like this to see how it’s all happened and how it’s evolved.”
The Kent Historical Society displays many photos, diagrams, old maps and houses many artifacts dating back to the 1800’s. Their mission is to keep old Kent alive through these exhibits by educating the public as long as the Clapp-Woodward house stands.
