Historic Zoar Village Traveling Exhibit to Debut at the GAHM
Historic Zoar Village
Zoar Community Association
P.O. Box 621
Zoar, OH 44697
www.historiczoarvillage.com
News for Immediate Release
German-American Heritage Museum of the USA™ Hosts Traveling Zoar Exhibit
Washington, D.C. – March 9, 2017 – Throughout spring 2017, the German-American Heritage Museum of the USA™ in Washington, D.C. will feature a temporary exhibit that commemorates the 200th anniversary of Historic Zoar Village, Ohio, and shares the story of how German immigrants created one of America’s most successful communal settlements.
“We’re excited to share Zoar’s German roots all across the country,” says Tammi Mackey-Shrum, site manager – Historic Zoar Village. “Throughout 2017, the exhibit will travel to a variety of museums and cultural centers focused on both German-American history and the utopian societies of the 19th century. There is no greater place for the exhibit to make its debut than at the Heritage Museum – the foremost institution for sharing America’s German story with visitors from around the world.”
The German Separatists who founded Zoar fled religious persecution in their homeland of Württemberg. In 1817, 200 men and women arrived on the banks of the Tuscarawas River in northeast Ohio and began building a communal settlement that would last until 1898. The Separatists thrived on agriculture but also applied their work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit to other endeavors, such as helping to construct a portion of the Ohio and Erie Canal, creating a “Zoar-style” of furniture for export, and building a popular tourist destination for weekenders in the mid-1800s.
In addition to highlighting these and other aspects of Zoar life, the exhibit also includes a three-dimensional replica of the Zoar Garden – a 2.4-acre, scripture-inspired meditative space that remains the centerpiece of the village today – and displays of Zoar artifacts including furniture, tools, pottery and art.
The exhibit can be viewed March 24 through May 26 at the German-American Heritage Museum located at 719 Sixth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and Saturday 12 p.m to 5 p.m. It is closed on Sunday and Monday. Museum admission prices are $7 for adults, $5 for students, and free for children under 12 and GAHF-members.
About the German-American Heritage Museum of the USA™ The German-American Heritage Museum’s mission is to collect, record, preserve and exhibit the rich cultural legacy of Americans of German-speaking ancestry and make their contributions to American history available to audiences of all ages. The museum also seeks to highlight the political, cultural and economic relations between Germany and the U.S. The museum opened in 2010 in the heart of the old European-American section of Washington.
About Historic Zoar Village Zoar was founded in 1817 by German Separatists. Today, the village is home to approximately 75 families living in houses built from 1817 to present. Zoar’s historical district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was named a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 2016. Dozens of village structures featuring German and European building traditions have been painstakingly preserved through the collaborative efforts of the Zoar Community Association and the Ohio History Connection.
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