Milford residents can walk through the hilltop mansion where a sitting Ohio governor once ran state business when Promont House Museum opens for public tours Sunday, Nov. 1.
The Greater Milford Area Historical Society (GMAHS), which operates the museum at 906 Main St., will welcome visitors from 1 to 4 p.m., according to the Clermont Guardian, which reported on the society's announcement. The last tour leaves at 3 p.m., and the society encouraged visitors to also walk the grounds.
Admission is $8 for adults and $3 for students 13 and older. Children 12 and under get in free with a paying adult or member.
The Italianate mansion overlooking the Little Miami River was built in 1865 by William McGrue. John M. Pattison, who became Ohio's 43rd governor, purchased the home in 1879 and lived there until his death in 1906.
Weakened by illness, Pattison returned to Promont the same day as his January 1906 inauguration in Columbus. He directed state government from the house for the remainder of his term.
The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. James Kirgan donated it to the historical society in 1983.
The mansion's structure remains unaltered from its original construction, according to the GMAHS website. Its Italianate style features a central hall flanked by two connecting rooms on each side across a central-hall layout and a renovated viewing tower.
The grounds originally spanned 56 acres. The house also includes a reference library and gift shop.
GMAHS, established in 1967, offers public tours on the first, third and fifth Sundays of each month from 1 to 4 p.m. Private tours can be scheduled through event coordinator Kim Phipps by calling (513) 248-0324, Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Upcoming open house dates: Nov. 15, Nov. 29, Dec. 6, Dec. 19 and Dec. 20, all from 1 to 4 p.m., according to the GMAHS website.
