Students Explore History at Zanesville’s Nelson T. Gant House

ZANESVILLE, Ohio–More than 60 third graders from West Muskingum Schools got a unique lesson in local history with a visit to the Nelson T. Gant House in Zanesville.

The field trip gave students a chance to step back in time through an interactive coloring book, guided tours, and hands-on lessons about the life and legacy of Nelson T. Gant. Gant, a formerly enslaved man who became a successful businessman and abolitionist, played a significant role in shaping Zanesville’s history.

“I think it’s important they see different paths that people travel, for example, Nelson being a former slave, I think they need to see that rich history and needed to understand that with the abolitionist movement in Zanesville Ohio back in 1835,” Nelson T. Gant Foundation President Todd Ware stated.

The timing of the tour couldn’t have been more fitting, today is National Tourism Day. Organizers say the Gant House is more than just a stop along the road and that people should take the time to recognize it as a national treasure.

“The Gant House is important especially to Muskingum County and Springfield Township as well. We’re the only African American Museum that was a former slave house on route 40 in the whole nation, so we’re representing the nation,” Ware said.

Leaders at the Gant House hope that through experiences like this, the next generation will walk away with a deeper appreciation for the region’s rich cultural history and the power of resilience and progress.