OBERLIN, Ohio — As News 5 prepares to close out Black History Month, we head to Oberlin. During slavery, the town was known as a safe haven for those on the Underground Railroad trying to make it to freedom.
The town is rich with reminders and historic landmarks, and News 5’s Courtney Gousman traveled there to learn the story of a former slave and Oberlin resident who has a building named in his honor.
On Route 20 in Oberlin sits Henry’s Barn. Step inside and the woodwork and architecture are stunning.
It's owned by The Lorain County Metro Parks and serves as a venue for weddings and meetings.
"It's beyond our wildest dreams as to how popular it's become," said Lorain County Metro Parks Director Jim Ziemnik.
On the barn's wall hangs a portrait of Henry Thomas, the barn’s namesake. He was born into slavery in Virginia around the mid-1800s.
"That's a little unclear for many people born into slavery. They did not have solid dates about when they were born, unfortunately," said Liz Schultz, Director of The Oberlin Heritage Center.
She's been researching the life of Henry Thomas for the last 20 years. She told Courtney that records show Henry was sold at least twice before the age of 10.
Henry secured his freedom as a child, thanks to The Jenkins family, known abolitionists from Southeast Ohio.
The Jenkins’ daughter, Rebecca, married a wealthy Oberlin banker named Albert H. Johnson. The couple built a beautiful estate on Professor Street.
The year was about 1886 when Henry began working for the Oberlin family. According to census records, that relationship lasted decades.
“We know he was sometimes listed as servant, or a laborer. Later on, he's more listed as a caretaker as he gets older. He was in charge of the entire property," Schultz said.
Ziemnik said Henry "made sure the help was doing what they were supposed to be doing."
Henry was known as quite the gardener, especially for his Dahlias.
“The height — they say you had to get on a ladder to get up to some of these flowers to trim them back. He certainly had his own reputation and was well known around town," Ziemnik said.
A handwritten letter from February 1907 shows the level of care and concern Henry had for the Johnson estate, as the family traveled.
"He seems to be a trusted member of the household," Schultz said.
Behind the beautiful 19th-century home sat a barn.
"They stored all the carriages, and the horses, the hay. And this is where they were taken care of," Ziemnik said.
Henry is believed to have spent the most time in the barn, working.
Tragedy struck in 1899 when Albert Johnson was killed in a train crash. Years later, Rebecca eventually sold the Oberlin estate and it was later gifted to Oberlin College, who turned the house into a dorm. But the barn sat decaying.
“We first started seeing it back around 2015 when we made contact with the college. It was ready to fall down — roof leaks, there was a big hole in the floor. It was a dangerous place to be," Ziemnik said.
Ziemnik wanted to save this barn but couldn't figure out a way to repurpose it where it stood. That is until a local family donated land on Route 20.
The plan then came together to deconstruct the 130-year-old barn and rebuild it on the donated land.
“When they took it all apart, it was all numbered. They dismantled it. Everything was numbered so they could put it all back together again like a big Lego set," Ziemnik said.
The barn was completed in 2017, true to the original layout, with additions for restrooms, insulation, and new siding.
Ziemnik told Courtney that about half of the barn's original wood was used.
The structure even got a new name: Henry's Barn.
Ziemnik said it was an "opportunity to kind of give it a fresh start. The history of Henry and what he did with the family, all the care that he put into the horses, the carriages, and the estate."
Henry died in December 1945. Courtney visited his burial site at Oberlin’s Westwood Cemetery, where his headstone sits behind the Johnson family mausoleum.
There's so much we don't know about Henry Thomas.
Did he ever marry? Did he have children or even siblings?
What we do know is this man dedicated his life to caring for others. Now the legacy of this former slave and Oberlin resident will live on through a beautiful piece of architecture.
“I love that this gave us an opportunity to talk about Henry and really look into his story. I would like to think he'd be happy that he's being remembered these days," Schultz said.
The Johnson family took care of Henry Thomas beyond the grave, with Rebecca Johnson providing for him in her will. That included leaving him another Oberlin property and financial support until his death.
To learn more about Henry’s Barn and how to reserve the property as a rental, click here.
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