History of the Town Hall

On Nov. 18, 1905, the Center of Bath Grange No. 1331 met in the newly finished township hall located at the intersection of Bath Road and Cleveland-Massillon Road. The wooden structure was heated by coal stoves and had oil lamps affixed to the walls. A raised section at the east end of the hall served as a stage. A second floor at the west end served as an enclosed balcony overlooking the main hall.

Renovations to the township hall in the late 1940s included a well, septic system, gas furnace and concrete basement floor. Additional renovations were made over the decades by various community organizations to maintain and improve the building. The Historic Town Hall has served as the site of the township government offices, as a meeting place for the Grange, the Historical Society, the Bath Volunteers for Service, the original Bath Players theater group, boy scout and girl scout troops, and even as a kindergarten classroom. It has been rented to church groups, classes, and families for reunions.

The Bath Township Museum promotes community activities and interest in Bath’s heritage. It provides an opportunity for the community to view cultural and historic interpretive exhibits on a regular basis.

The Museum Board was responsible for creating the Bath Township Museum. The Museum Board is comprised of representatives from the Bath Township Historical Society, the Bath Grange, and the Bath Volunteers for Service. Volunteers have organized, displayed, secured, and financed interpretive, cultural, and historical exhibits of the current collection of artifacts of the Bath Historical Society, as well as new donations to the museum and “on loan” items for exhibits The Museum has a research library providing easy access to Bath history, family genealogy, maps and other local history references. The Museum also has information about the cemeteries of Bath, the scenic byway “Heritage Corridors of Bath”, and other community organizations and activities.

The Bath Township Museum shall promote community activities and interest in Bath’s heritage through publications, exhibits/displays of the collection and programs. Furthermore, it shall acquire, maintain and preserve historical materials for education and research.

The Bath Township Museum Board will have the responsibility for creating the Bath Township Museum. It will catalogue, organize, display, secure, and pay for an interpretive cultural and historical exhibit of the current collection of artifacts in the possession of the Bath Historical Society. It will also retain and display information concerning the five cemeteries in Bath Township including maps of the sites and stories that document the history connected to the cemeteries. Also exhibited will be information and display items to promote the Ohio Scenic Byway called “the Heritage Corridors of Bath” which includes the three hamlets known as Ghent, Bath Center, and Hammond’s Corner, as well as 38 miles of scenic and historic county roadway. The Bath Business Association and Bath Homeowners would be invited to take part in an exhibit. In addition, it will disseminate educational and recreational information about the Bath Nature Preserve with the University of Akron Field Station, Bath Community Activity Center, Bath Hill Park and Bath Baseball Park. It will provide maps of the multi-purpose North Fork Trail, nature trails, equestrian trails, greenways and riparian corridors.

The museum/information center will gather and disseminate information; therefore the information becomes more accessible and understandable to everyone in the community. It will develop opportunities to enhance the lives of our 9,800 residents and create pathways to draw visitors of all ages to the region.

Further, it will provide the public with an opportunity to view this cultural and historic interpretive exhibit on a regular basis.