Check Out Leanne Watkins’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leanne Watkins.

Hi Leanne, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My time with the Grove City Welcome Center and Museum began approximately seven years ago. The Southwest Franklin County Historical Society was in need of a volunteer to manage their collection of paperwork, pictures and genealogies. Having a love of history and having grown up in Grove City, I jumped at the chance. I spent hours each week at the museum sorting and organizing the historical societies growing collection of paperwork and pictures. My love for Grove City and its history grew with each old newspaper article and picture I discovered.

When a position at the museum opened up in 2021 I knew this is where I wanted to be. I immediately applied and started work shortly thereafter. My focus quickly turned from filing and sorting paperwork to creating an inventory of the historical societies collection of artifacts in storage at the museum. With every box I opened, a new historical treasure was revealed. Sharing these unseen treasures with the public became my new focus.

My role at the museum is ever expanding. One of the most rewarding experiences has to be helping a visitor research their family’s earliest beginnings in Grove City. Uncovering that old photo or map they weren’t able to find anywhere else is always a highlight of my day.

Besides the museum, Grove City is home to several historical sites including the Grant-Sawyer Homestead and Century Village. Built in the late 1820s, the Grant-Sawyer Homestead stands as the oldest residence in Grove City. Century Village features a collection of buildings dating to the mid-1800s including the Orders Road Schoolhouse, a train depot, and blacksmith shop among many others. Serving as tour guide to Grove City’s historic sites is one of the most fulfilling parts of my job. It is a pleasure to open these sites to the public and share their rich history with the community.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Having been away from the workforce for about twenty years, it was a daunting task to suddenly jump back into it. My experience with the public was limited at best. Now with my three girls grown and heading off to college, I was ready to try something new. The Grove City Welcome Center and Museum has served as a wonderful transition into this new stage of life.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have many titles here at the Grove City Welcome Center and Museum. Docent, curator, tour guide, researcher – all of which I find rewarding in different ways. I am probably best known for the research I do for the exhibits at the museum. Every artifact has a story whether it relates to Grove City specifically or is just a cool antique. People come to a museum to learn. They enjoy that extra bit of little-known trivia. I try to incorporate both.

Not having a formal education in museum curatorship, I rely heavily on my artistic background and many years of visiting museums and historic sites with my family to guide me in setting up the exhibits. Visitors like to see things up close. They want to hear the 100 year old player piano, not just read about it on a sign. Our 1912 Model T is central to the museum and fascinating on its own merit. Hearing the horn honk or describing how the car got into the museum are just little extras the visitor will take with them and remember.

I would have to say the most rewarding part of my job is the research I do for guests. One of the most common questions I receive at the museum is from a visitor researching the history of their current home. With nothing more than an address, I am usually able to trace the property back to its earliest owners – if I’m lucky, maybe even find it on an old map. It is so rewarding sending a visitor away with a small stack of old newspaper articles or copies of pictures and maps they couldn’t find anywhere else.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The Southwest Franklin County Historical Society has enjoyed a close relationship with the City of Grove City for many years. It is difficult for these smaller organizations to grow without the support of the local government and community. Restoring the 1820s Grant-Sawyer Homestead or setting up a mid-1800s village at Century Village would not be possible without that close partnership with the City of Grove City.

Whether it is moving an 1884 train depot down the road to Century Village or preserving a nearly 200 year old dress from one of our earliest families, opportunities to share that history with the public continue to emerge.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.grovecityohio.gov
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grovecityohio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GroveCityOhio
• Twitter: https://x.com/grovecityohio
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GroveCityOhio
• Other: https://www.swfchs.org