Prospect Place Estate – Trinway, Ohio

Prospect Place Estate – Trinway, Ohio

Built in 1856 this 29 room mansion was built by abolitionist George Willison Adams.  The mansion was used by the "Underground Railroad" to safely move escaped slaves to freedom.

The basement of the mansion was used to house the escaped slaves from the South where they would be given food, lamps, blankets and whatever they lacked for their trip further north.  The mansion was one of the largest stations on the Underground Railroad in Ohio.  Even with the bounty hunters combing the area for the escaped slaves the mansion was a safe haven for the slaves, at great risk to the owners of the home.

The three story brick horse barn and carriage house was rebuilt from the destroyed remains of the first Prospect Place. The original Prospect Place was burned to the ground by an arsonist. The first floor was the stable for the horses, the second floor was used for hay storage and the third floor was used as a bunk house for the ranch hands that lived on the property and worked the ranch.

There are great ghost stories affiliated with the mansion.  For the barn it is said that there was a bounty hunter that came to the mansion looking for slaves that were hidden there.  Mr. Adams met him at the door and produced from his coat his Navy revolver and a stand-off with the heavily armed Bounty hunter ensued for several minutes.  Seeing the predicament the ranch hands working in the barn quickly emerged with their rifles and the Bounty Hunter decided that the situation had become too dangerous.  The man retreated to his camp for the night empty handed of slaves.

The ranch hands decided to take matters into their own hands and tracked the bounty hunter back to his camp and abducted him and proceeded to hang him from the third floor of the barn through the hay loft opening.  They then secretly buried the body and never told Mr. Adams what they had done, since they knew he would not approve.

It is now said that the bounty hunter spirit roams the barn looking for revenge on the ranch hands to killed him.  Those that visit the barn say they sometimes feel a touch on their arm in the barn, or when lucky enough they capture an image of a ghostly dark clad man on film.

There are other ghost stories of the place too such as the one about Constance Cox, the little girl who fell from the front portico balcony while suffering from a fever.  She wandered out onto the balcony one cold night and lost her footing and fell over the low railing to the hard sandstone steps below.

Since it was winter and the ground was frozen solid they had to wait until warmer weather to bury her.  They kept her body placed on ice in the basement in a pit originally designed as a refrigeration system for the house.  When spring arrived they held a proper burial for her.

Today, it is said, that the ghost of Constance can sometimes be seen on the second floor near the door to what once was the portico balcony, occasionally she will be seen in the basement, the ballroom and the Upstairs Parlor or by the fireplace mantle in this room.

Then there is Anna Adams-Cox who had inherited the mansion in 1979.  She was left by her husband when the money ran out and died lonely and broken.  It is said that she wanders the halls of the estate.

The stories of ghosts add to the attraction of this mansion and there are many of those stories.

The mansion is being restored to its former glory by dedicated people from the area.  It is listed on the National Park Service "National Register of Historic Places" and the Ohio Underground Railroad Association list of Underground Railroad sites.

The activities a the mansion area administrated by the "G.W. Adams Educational Center", a non-profit educational organization dedicated to making the public aware of the great historic significance of the house and the people who lived there as well
as the time in which it was built.

The style of the house is the Greek Revival/Italianate with a square footage of 9500 sq. ft..  The ceiling height in the main house is 14 feet and in the servant’s wing 12 feet.

Directions: Driving instructions from Zanesville:

Take Route 60 north from Zanesville approximately 11 miles to Dave Longaberger Ave in Dresden.  Turn at the light (right) onto Dave Longaberger Ave and proceed to Main Street.  Turn left at the light and go north on old Rte 60 (Main Street) one mile.  Prospect Place will be on your right.

From Coshocton:

Take Route 16 west until you arrive at the Dresden / Warsaw exit.  Turn left onto Rte 60 and proceed through the first light.  Continue for about two miles until you reach Dave Longaberger Ave in Dresden.  Turn left at the light and continue on Longaberger Ave to Main Street.  Take a left at the light on Main and proceed  1/2 mile north of Dresden.   Prospect Place will be the first house on the right before you enter Trinway.

From Newark:

Take Route 16 east to the Dresden / Warsaw exit.  Turn right onto Rte 60, proceed through the first light.  Continue for about two miles until you reach Dave Longaberger Ave in Dresden.  Turn left at the light and continue on Longaberger Ave to Main Street.  Take a left at the light on Main and proceed  1/2 mile north of Dresden.   Prospect Place will be the first house on the right before you enter Trinway.

From the Cleveland area:

Take Interstate 77 south until you reach the Newcomerstown exit (Route 36 west).  Route 36 west becomes Route 16 west in Coshocton.  Take Route 16 west until you arrive at the Dresden / Warsaw exit.  Turn left onto Rte 60 and proceed through the first light.  Continue for about two miles until you reach Dave Longaberger Ave in Dresden.  Turn left at the light and continue on Longaberger Ave to Main Street.  Take a left at the light on Main and proceed  1/2 mile north of Dresden.   Prospect Place will be the first house on the right before you enter Trinway.

From the Columbus Area and Points West:

Take Route 161 east from New Albany (I-270) until it becomes route 16 east at Newark.  Take Route 16 east to the Dresden / Warsaw exit.  Turn right onto Rte 60, proceed through the first light.  Continue for about two miles until you reach Dave Longaberger Ave in Dresden.  Turn left at the light and continue on Longaberger Ave to Main Street.  Take a left at the light on Main and proceed  1/2 mile north of Dresden.   Prospect Place will be the first house on the right before you enter Trinway.

From the Cincinnati Area and Points South:

Take I-71 north to Columbus.  Get on I-270 east and drive until you reach the Ohio route 161 east exit at New Albany.  Take Route 161 east from New Albany (I-270) until it becomes route 16 east at Newark.  Take Route 16 east to the Dresden / Warsaw exit.  Turn right onto Rte 60, proceed through the first light.  Continue for about two miles until you reach Dave Longaberger Ave in Dresden.  Turn left at the light and continue on Longaberger Ave to Main Street.  Take a left at the light on Main and proceed  1/2 mile north of Dresden.   Prospect Place will be the first house on the right before you enter Trinway.

From Western Pennsylvania and Points East:

Take I-76/I-70 west until it becomes I-70 west.  Take I-70 west to Zanesville, Ohio, and get off at the Maple Avenue exit (Route 60 north).  Take Route 60 north from Zanesville approximately 14 miles to Dave Longaberger Ave in Dresden.  Turn at the light (right) onto Dave Longaberger Ave and proceed to Main Street.  Turn left at the light and go north on old Rte 60 (Main Street) one mile. Prospect Place will be on your right.

Tours are by appointment only and are guided walking tours.

The tours last 1.5 to 2 hours

Fee: $10 per person for adults (15 and over) and $5 for children 4 – 14 with children 4 and under free.

The tours are limited to 25 people per tour.

Contact information:
Phone: 740-754-1814

Email: tutnkmn@prodigy.net

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