Adena Mansion

Address 847 Adena Road, Chillicothe, OH 45601

The 1807 sandstone mansion of Thomas Worthington, sixth governor of Ohio and one of its first U.S. senators. Worthington was central to the political fight for Ohio statehood and the house, restored to its early-19th-century appearance, served as a working farm and a meeting place for the new state's political class. The estate sits on a rise west of town with sweeping views over the Scioto Valley.

Interpretive guides walk you through the main house, gardens and outbuildings. The visitor centre has a museum on Worthington's life and the early statehood years.

things to do museum historic house
A story
Thomas Worthington named his house Adena after a Hebrew word meaning "delightful place"; the name was later given by archaeologists to the entire prehistoric culture whose mound stands at the foot of his garden. The view east from the front lawn, with the Scioto Valley falling away towards the town, is the same scene depicted on the Great Seal of Ohio — Worthington designed the seal in 1803.