Constructed
between 1815 and 1817 by War of 1812 General Reasin Beall, the house
is the oldest surviving residential structure in Wooster.
The
house once used by the College of Wooster as a dormitory, is gradually
undergoing a transition from the Society's main museum building to an
authentic recreation of how it looked during the 19th century.
The
Society is in the process of restoring this magnificent structure to
its appearance when General Beall and his descendants lived there. Currently
closed to the public, the Beall House is expected to reopen on June 21, 2008.
Reasin
Beall was born in Montgomery County, Maryland, December 3, 1769, and
enlisted in the military in 1790. By 1793, he had been appointed battalion
quartermaster under famed Revolutionary War hero General "Mad"
Anthony Wayne.
In 1812, Beall was commissioned
brigadier general of Ohio Volunteers. From April 20, 1813, until June
7, 1814, Beall served in the Thirteenth United States Congress while
filling a vacancy caused by the death of Representative John S. Edwards.
Upon his resignation, Beall moved to Wooster where he served as register
of the land offices at Wooster and Canton. Remaining politically active,
Beall lived the last twenty-eight years of his life in Wooster until
his demise on February 20, 1843.