PHOTOS BY JOHN FRYMAN / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
RATIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION … In this portrait, it depicts the ratification of the United States Constitution, which is displayed in the Founders Museum, The Road to Liberty project in the Williams County Courthouse.
BETSY ROSS … In this portrait, as part of the Founders Museum, The Road to Liberty project in the Williams County Courthouse, Betsy Ross (above) became famous in sewing the first American flag in 1776, at the request of George Washington.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
The historic Williams County Courthouse in downtown Bryan, in conjunction with celebrating the 250th birthday of the founding of the United States of America this year, is now the permanent site of the Founders Museum, the Road to Liberty, depicting a display of portraits in a tribute to the founding men, women and moments that shaped the nation.
The exhibit was conceived by Megan Hill, a social studies teacher at Montpelier Junior High School, who brought the idea of the Founders Museum, the Road to Liberty, to Williams County.
Visitors will have the opportunity to visit the exhibits located on the first, second, and fourth floors of the Williams County Courthouse. The exhibits are a powerful tribute to the founding of the greatest nation in history.
Upon visiting the Founders Museum, the Road to Liberty, local school children, their families and community members from all over Northwest Ohio will encounter striking painted portraits of Declaration of Independence signers, revolutionary women, and defining moments that gave birth to America.
Each painted portrait also features an immersive video experience. Visitors can scan the QR code on the biographical card located underneath the portraits.
The videos in this exhibit are proudly presented by PragerU, which describes itself as the most influential media organization in the world that promotes the American values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness through free educational content for all ages.
PragerU is in partnership with The White House and the U.S. Department of Education, bringing America’s founding to life through cinematic storytelling spotlighting the men and women who risked everything for liberty.
“They (PragerU) are the creators of the actual Founding Fathers Museum,” said Hill. “They took these images of our founding fathers along with some women and several events leading throughout the Revolution and turned them into AI-generated videos.
“So essentially when you go to the museum, you’re not just looking at an image; you can scan a QR code with your phone, and it brings the image to life. You look at the founding father talk, you watch the event unfold, the woman speak whatever it might be.”
Hill commented that she had discovered the Founders Museum online while doing research on the Revolutionary War era for her eighth-grade class.
“As I was researching, I came across this museum (Founders Museum) and realized that it was set up at The White House in celebration of the 250th anniversary,” said Hill.
The exhibit is located at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House grounds. “Upon clicking on several different links, I learned that you could order your own individual museum and set it up in a classroom.”
Hill thought it would have been really cool to put the museum up in her classroom, but when she realized that it cost over $4,000, she knew it was going to be something beyond what she could purchase.
Once Hill realized the cost of the museum, she also found it beneficial not only for her eighth graders, but thought it could be something that could be used across Williams County.
Hill then reached out to Williams County Recorder Patti Rockey. She felt that Rockey might be willing to work with her on the museum project.
“Once I had talked to her (Rockey) my original thought was to set it up at the Williams County Veterans Memorial Hall in Montpelier to create a field trip destination for students in the spring,” said Hill. “She (Rockey) had wanted to see it become more permanent.”
Rockey was able to obtain grant funding from the Bryan Area Foundation, the Millcreek-West Unity Foundation and the Montpelier Area Foundation totaling $5,250 to support the Founders Museum, the Road to Liberty project.
“She (Rockey) played an integral role in this,” noted Hill. “Not only that she (Rockey) facilitated the location, but then also the financing for this. Had it not been for her, this might not have come to fruition.”
Hill also credited the efforts of Williams County Public Library Assistant Director Denver Henderson, Williams County Director of Maintenance Gene Woodring, and Bryan High School Career Technical Center instructor Bernie Davis.
Additionally, Hill worked with the Williams County Public Library Local History and Genealogy Center along with other area high school government students and teachers, and county municipalities and organizations, to ensure the exhibit provides a comprehensive look at the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the key figures of the Revolution.
