HAYESVILLE — Two of the oldest structures in Ashland County will have their doors open for free public tours in September.
From 1 to 3 p.m. on Sept. 12, the Hayesville Opera House and Vermillion Institute will welcome guests for tours. These structures both date to the 19th century.
These tours are part of the larger Ohio Open Doors statewide event, which takes place every other year, according to Ohio History Connection. This year’s event runs from Sept. 10 to 20.
Ohio History Connection created the event 10 years ago to “promote and inspire pride in Ohio’s heritage and to celebrate the National Historic Preservation Act,” according to its website.
Corresponding with America’s 250th birthday in 2026, Ohio History Connection’s goal was to organize 250 (or more) Ohio Open Doors events. Currently, 287 different events are scheduled as of Aug. 20 — with at least one in each of Ohio’s 88 counties.
Four Ohio Open Doors events are planned in Ashland County, listed below:
- Sept. 12 from 1 to 3 p.m. — Hayesville Opera House, 5 1/2 E. Main St., Hayesville.
- Sept. 12 from 1 to 3 p.m. — Vermillion Institute, 150 E. Main St., Hayesville.
- Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. — Freer Children’s Home, 1260 Center St., Ashland.
- Sept. 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Freer Children’s Home, 1260 Center St., Ashland.
A full list and map of participating events can be found here.
Below are histories of the Hayesville Opera House and Vermillion Institute, provided by Dave Roepke, president of the Hayesville Opera House Restoration Board. Roepke has been involved with the Hayesville Opera House for about 25 years.
Hayesville Opera House dates back to 1885
Construction for the opera house began in 1885.
On April 14, 1884 the citizens of Hayesville approved its construction at a special election by a vote of 100 to 13. The total cost for the building at the time was $4,852.20.
Bids for the construction of the opera house opened Aug. 6, 1885. Local contractor Samuel Craig won the contract to build the opera house at a cost of $4,100.00. His work began Oct. 1, 1885.
The two-story brick building was completed on April 26, 1886 when the operetta
“Genevieve” was presented on the opera house stage.
Throughout the early years, numerous performances took place at the opera house. These included serving as the location of the annual Hayesville Memorial Day program, where tribute to the veterans from the Hayesville area was given.
At this same time, the opera house was also used by the Vermillion Academy — which was a local Hayesville high school — to present both school plays as well as graduation ceremonies.
Often Vaudeville shows, which featured medicine men selling their wares, could be found in the opera house as well. At the same time, some of the first silent movies in this area were shown here in the opera house.
The Hayesville Opera House is one of very few theatres to be found on the Lincoln
Highway. This national highway runs in front of the opera house. This road is also
known as Old Route 30.
Some of the architectural features found in the opera house today are original to the
building.
These include: the 200 seats with hat racks under the seats, hand painted
backdrops, ticket board and a small section of original wallpaper. The stage area
contains four dressing rooms with the floor of the stage being slanted or “raked” to
provide the audience with the best view to the actors.
Also present, but not used, are the gas-light fixtures backstage. Another hidden treasure of the opera house is the hundreds of signatures found on the walls back stage. During the early years actors often signed the walls for good luck. Many of these names date to the 1890’s.
On April 22, 1926 the newly formed Ashland Symphony presented a concert on the opera house stage. In 1969, electricity was installed for the first time upstairs in the opera house.
In 1976, the Hayesville Opera House was the first building in Ashland County to be
named to the National Register of Historic Places.
A grant from the National Park Service was used in 2005 to restore the theatre back to
its 1886 appearance. The work involved restored wooden seating, new paint and
redecorating. The appearance of the opera house today is how the theatre looked in
1886, when it first opened.
In spring 2024, the village of Hayesville completed the installation of new windows and doors, which improved the appearance and quality of the entire building. That same year the Ashland County Community Foundation awarded a grant to fund the renovation of the restroom area.
Today the opera house is still owned by the village of Hayesville.
Vermillion Institute born from desire for higher education
The present building was begun on July 4, 1845 when the corner stone was laid at a
special ceremony at the site found at 150 E. Main St.
Efforts to build the Vermillion Institute come out of a desire to provide higher education to the students of Hayesville and Vermillion Township. The efforts led to the selling of shares of stock to cover the construction cost, as well as the forming ofa board of trustees and hiring faculty to lead this new institute of higher learning.
A state of Ohio charter was issued to allow the awarding of collegiate degrees to the students. The first principal for the school was Rev. Lewis Granger.
Over the years, many famous educators would serve also as principals.
These included John Simpson, who went on to become an educator in Mansfield. A longtime leader was professor Sanders Diefendorf, a learned scholar from Yale University. He was also a Presbyterian minister.
The first classes began in 1846. Over the many years, several noted graduates of the
school went on to encourage learning and ministry. One of these was Dr. Frank Fox who
founded Capital University in Columbus.
The Vermillion Institute school would close in 1884 as other colleges began to open in the area, including Oberlin College, Ashland College, College of Wooster and Kenyon College.
The Institute offered classes there for many students. The campus also had two dormitories for men and women students.
Each spring a noted guest lecturer from the East Coast would come to Hayesville to provide guest lectures to the students and those local town folks seeking to advance their cultural awareness in the Hayesville area.
In 1857, the Presbyterain Church organization would purchase the school. At that time,
discussion amoung the Presbyterain membership led to the founding of the College of
Wooster in 1869, with the Vermillion Institute serving as a prep school for incoming
students.
When the Vermillion Institute closed in 1884, the local Hayesville school board would
take over the building to use as a high school. In 1927, the local school board would
build a new school building west of Hayesville.
At that time, the former Vermillion Institute would be closed and eventually sold into private hands. Over the many years after that time the building would sit vacant.
Around 1976, the Vermillion Institute building was named to the National Register of Historic Places — the second building in Ashland County to receive this honor.
Today, the building is owned privately — with the former structure being completely
renovated into a historic structure as a private residence.
