 Fred Warren painting the railings at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House (June 2020) Board Member Fred Warren grew up in New York and moved to the Greater Cincinnati area over 30 years ago. He has always been interested in history and even received his B.A. in History. Following are edited excerpts from an interview with Mr. Warren.
When did you first learn about the Harriet Beecher Stowe House? Did you immediately become actively involved? I knew of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House for many years. I became a supporter between five and ten years ago. I started out donating to the Friends for a couple years. I attended a party for members of the Friends about four years ago where I was approached to become a docent. I love to meet new people through the Harriet Beecher Stowe House. What is your favorite book that you have read related to the House? I have read quite a few books in relation to the Harriet Beecher Stowe House. One book I have read was a Ph.D. thesis turned into a book written on Harriet’s life in Florida. Not many people know about her life in Florida since it was her later years. She was very influential and encouraged tourism in Florida. She also defended the wildlife population and brought education to children especially African American children. Fred enjoys being a docent because it is a very stimulating experience. He is able to interact with people from all over who are visiting the House and are people involved with the Friends of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House. If you're interested in exploring more books related to Harriet Beecher Stowe, the Underground Railroad, or the Power of Voice, come check out our bookstore, open during all public hours.
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 Board member Dr. Cheli Reutter grew up in Detroit but had roots to Cincinnati through her mom. She is currently the Associate Professor-Educator of American Literature and Medical Humanities at the University of Cincinnati. Following are edited excerpts from an interview with Dr. Reutter.
When did you first learn about the HBSH? Did you immediately become actively involved or did you slowly integrate yourself into the community? I first learned about the Harriet Beecher Stowe House during my undergrad at Rice University in Houston in the early 90s. I moved to Cincinnati for my Masters and to be near family. I began setting up tours at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House for my students in my "Reading Cincinnati" class. Barbara Furr helped me to become even more involved with the House. I especially enjoy participating in the Semi-Colon Club and literature talks and discussions. What is one thing you have learned since becoming involved with the Harriet Beecher Stowe House? I have learned about Isabella Beecher Hooker and her passion for women’s rights. I was surprised that Isabella was more involved with women’s rights than Harriet. "The Cause Dearer to Me Than Any Other in the World": Isabella Beecher Hooker and Suffrage was my favorite exhibit. This exhibit displays not only Isabella’s work for women’s rights but the family drama when she refused to take her brother's side in a scandal. Dr. Reutter will be giving a lecture in October 2023 on one of Harriet Beecher Stowe's lesser-known novels, The Pearl of Orr's Island. Stay tuned for details!  The Semi-Colon Club was a regular informal gathering of Cincinnati writers and literary enthusiasts including Lyman, Catherine, and Harriet Beecher, Eliza and Calvin Stowe, Dr. Daniel Drake, and Elizabeth Blackwell. Among its other notables was Salmon P. Chase who became Lincoln’s Secretary of Treasury and future Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Salmon Portland Chase was born in 1808 in Cornish, New Hampshire. Chase lived from 1820 to 1824 in Ohio with his uncle, Bishop Philander Chase, a leading figure in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the West. He was graduated from Dartmouth College Law School in 1826 and established a prominent legal practice in Cincinnati, where he is remembered as an advocate for escaped slaves. He defended many escapees in court charged under the Fugitive Slave Law of 1793 as well as other that aided and abetted their getaway. Chase was later dubbed the "Attorney General for Fugitive Slaves”. In 1847 he argued on behalf of John Van Zandt before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case challenged the constitutionality of the fugitive slave laws. Van Zandt served as a “conductor” in the Underground Railroad in Evendale, Ohio. Van Zandt was sued by a slaveholder and was party to Jones v. Van Zandt. Chase contended that when an enslaved person leaves the jurisdiction of a state where slavery is legal, he ceases to be a slave. In this, and similar cases, the court ruled against against Van Zandt, upholding the right and obligation of government to protect slavery. Van Zandt was financially and emotionally ruined by the decision and died later that year. It is widely held that Van Zandt was the basis for the character of Van Trompe in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. Chase left the Whig Party in 1841 to lead Ohio's Liberty Party. In 1848 he helped establish the Free Soil Party and won election to the U.S. Senate a year later. He opposed the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas–Nebraska Act, and helped establish the Republican Party. After leaving the Senate, Chase served as the Governor of Ohio from 1856 to 1860. In 1860 Chase sought the Republican presidential nomination but lost the party’s candidacy to Abraham Lincoln. He served as Lincoln’s Secretary of Treasury from 1861 to 1864 tasked with ensuring that the Union was well-financed during the Civil War. He is credited with changing the phrase on U.S. currency from ”In God is our Trust,"to "In God We Trust". He resigned from the Cabinet to fill the Supreme Court vacancy following Chief Justice Roger Taney's death. Chase served as Chief Justice from 1864 to his death in 1873. He presided over the Senate trial of President Andrew Johnson during the impeachment proceedings of 1868. Despite his nomination to the court, Chase continued to pursue the presidency. He unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1868 and the Liberal Republican nomination in 1872. Chase died of a stroke in New York City on May 7, 1873. He was first interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C., and re-interred in October 1886 in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati. His birthplace in New Hampshire was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1975. A portrait of Chase appeared on the United States $10,000 bill, the largest denomination of U.S. currency to publicly circulate. The bill was last printed in 1945. References 1) https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Salmon_P._Chase 2) 2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salmon_P._Chase 3) ”New York Times". 15 November 1852. Some Account of Mrs Beecher Stowe and Her Family, by an Alabama Man About the author: Dr. Nicholas Andreadis is a volunteer at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House. He was a professor and dean at Western Michigan University prior to moving to Cincinnati.  Kathryn Gibbons giving a tour at Harriet's Birthday Party (June 2019) Kathryn Gibbons moved to Cincinnati when she was young. She has been on the Board for many years and recently concluded her term as the President on the Board of the Friends of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House. Following are edited excerpts from an interview with Ms. Gibbons.
Did you quickly become active in the Harriet Beecher Stowe House community? I wanted to become involved in the Walnut Hills community. I met Chris DeSimio who asked me to be on the Board. At first, I was not interested in giving tours or the public speaking aspect of it. However, once I learned more about Harriet and the House, I felt more comfortable giving tours. I really enjoyed giving tours and have given quite a few over the years. Giving tours are very rewarding and gives me the opportunity to meet people from all over. Do you have any favorite programs that you have participated in? I always enjoy Harriet’s Birthday Party celebration. It is a fun event where people of all ages in the community come to. I also enjoy talks and book signings because they are very powerful to me. I think a variety of programs is good for engaging the community. Not everyone likes the same programs and offering a variety will attract more people. Kathryn is a Board Member who is greatly involved with the Harriet Beecher Stowe House. The Board is extremely active and support the small staff in many ways. These board members are volunteers. If you’re interested in volunteering at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, you can find more information here.  Bob Graham is originally from California. He moved to Cincinnati for work and later became involved with the Harriet Beecher Stowe House. He is currently Treasurer on the Board of the Friends of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House. Following are edited excerpts from an interview with Mr. Graham.
How quickly did you become involved with the Harriet Beecher Stowe House? I was looking for something to become involved in after moving to Cincinnati. In Sacramento I oversaw communications for the traditional Sacramento Jazz Jubilee. I worked with the Traditional Sacramento Jazz Society for 22 years before moving to Cincinnati. I learned about the Harriet Beecher Stowe House through my friendship with Eric, Christina’s husband. When Christina became Executive Director, I began helping her and Eric with different projects around the house. I eventually began attending programs and was approached to apply to the Board. What is one thing you have learned since becoming involved with the Harriet Beecher Stowe House? I did not know about the Green Motorist Book before becoming involved with the House. It is a huge chapter of American history. I also learned that Harriet Beecher Stowe and Uncle Tom’s Cabin was one of the factors that led to the Civil War. Her novel was a moving story from the view of an individual that brought the horrors of slavery to light. I was not aware of how influential Harriet Beecher Stowe was.  Executive Director Christina Hartlieb explains the ongoing restoration project at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House to a high school architecture class. Join us in congratulating Executive Director Christina Hartlieb on five years at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House!
Below Christina reflects on what has changed (and stayed constant!) in the past five years and looks with excitement toward the future of the site: --- May 30, 2017, was my first day on the job at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House. That week I rearranged office space, gave my first tour, set up new email accounts, and watched Cohee Construction remove the floorboards upstairs to reveal the location of the original staircase. So much has happened in the past 5 years. I am amazed at the wonderful work we have accomplished. Expanding educational programming, hours of operation for public tours, staffing, and community partnerships. Creating new specialty tours, four panel exhibits, and two video exhibits to enhance our stories and share our legacy. Installing an outdoor classroom. Introducing a new logo and an overall interpretive theme – Power of Voice. I am excited to serve as the Executive Director of this dynamic historic and educational resource. This week, I spent time approving a grant report, answering research questions, strategizing about furniture removal for the next phase of restoration, sending out invitations to an event, and watching Cohee Construction install replica 1840s windows. The next 5 years holds the potential for even more momentous change as we continue to serve our community as a “lighthouse symbolizing good will and better understanding.” Thanks for letting me be a part of it. -Christina Hartlieb |
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