About Us

About Mantua (MAN-a-way)

Mantua is a township and village in Portage County, Ohio, formed from portions of land known as the Connecticut Western Reserve and incorporated in 1898. The Connecticut Western Reserve was surveyed by the Connecticut Land Company, a group of 52 men led by Moses Cleaveland. Settlers arrived in Mantua Township in 1798, including Abraham Honey, the first European settler to establish a home in Mantua. The area was developed into present-day Mantua Township and Mantua Village, the latter developed in the 1840s as Mantua Station - A stop on the Cleveland and Mahoning Valley Railroad.

Did you know?

"Mantua" was named after the Italian city of Mantua, besieged by Napoleon in 1797.


Photos: Remarkable Ohio

Click here to read the Ohio Historical Marker text in full

The land referred to as the Mantua Center Green was donated by Hezekiah Nooney Sr., and was important to both the social and commercial interests of the township. The first businesses located here were a furniture and cabinet maker's shop, harness shop, blacksmith shop, post office, tannery, ashery, dry goods store, and distillery. The cemetery serves as the final resting place for soldiers of several wars, including the American Revolution.

The Township Town Hall was constructed in 1840, once used as a school for the growing school-aged population. The Mantua Center Christian Church was also constructed in 1840, making it the oldest Disciples of Christ Church in Ohio. Former U.S. President James A. Garfield frequently preached here between 1855-1860 while serving as president of nearby Hiram College (then Hiram Eclectic Institute).


About the Society

| Founding

The Mantua Historical Society was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization on May 19, 1975.

| Mission

To preserve, share, & educate the community about the history of Mantua Village & Mantua Township, Ohio

| Board Members

Dottie Summerlin, President

Kathy Hughes, Vice President

Lois Summerlin, Secretary

Carolin Newell, Treasurer

Linda Ehlert & Evelyn Park, Trustees