A variety of museums call Central Portage County home.
Kelso House Museum– Brimfield
Located just south of I-76 on SR 43, the Kelso House Museum is housed in the Township’s restored stagecoach inn, and features many historic artifacts from the Township’s early days and agrarian heritage. An example of an early inn found along the stagecoach routes in the Connecticut Western Reserve, the Kelso House includes an upstairs ballroom.
The Kent State University Museum houses an outstanding costume and clothing collection associated with the School of Fashion and Design, and features a variety of changing exhibitions.
The Kent Historical Society Museum located in downtown Kent holds displays of the city’s early days, prominently influenced by its location along the Cuyahoga River as a canal town, and then as a center of the railroad industry.
The Portage County Historical Society in nearby Ravenna, also has displays and artifacts from throughout the County.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame (Canton), and the Rock & Hall of Fame (Cleveland) are all within easy driving distance from Central Portage County.
The National Register of Historic Places lists the Kent Industrial District along the Cuyahoga River near downtown Kent and the West Main Street District includes the Marvin Kent Home, and both areas contain structures dating back to the mid-1800s.
Other area sites of interest include “Brady’s Leap”, at the north end of Kent’s Heritage and River Edge Parks, “Standing Rock” which is now easily visible from the Crain Avenue Segment of the Portage Hike & Bike Trail, and an Indian mound located in Towner’s Woods Park, just northeast of the Kent city limits.
In a community with multiple institutions of higher education, it’s no surprise that the area is home to many fine and creative artists whose work is displayed in galleries and shops. The Kent State University School of Art has a downtown (Kent) gallery located on East Main Street with the Black Squirrel Gallery and McKay Bricker Framing. Located nearby on North Water Street is the Standing Rock Cultural Arts Gallery.
Kent State University Museum
Corner of East Main Street (SR 59) and South Lincoln Street
P.O. Box 5190–Rockwell Hall
330.672.3450
The Museum’s permanent collection features over 20,000 objects. Among them are the important fashion collection including costumes and textiles from the 18th century to the present and featured works by Channel, Balmain, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Courreges, Valentno, Halston, and Miyake, among others. The fashion collection includes a large selection of 18th and 19th century Chinese costumes, Central European apparel, and a number of outfits that once longed to Marlene Dietrich.
Historical Kelso House
4158 SR 43
330.673.1058
The Brimfield Memorial House Association formed in 1963 when a group of locals joined forces to save one of Brimfield’s historical homes from demolition. Today that structure is the home of the Kelso House Museum, a facility that includes collections of photographs, books and other resource materials that indicate what life was like for residents of this rural community dating from its founding in 1816. The bell from the original Brimfield Town Hall is installed near the front of the main house.
Black Squirrel Gallery
141 East Main Street
330.673.5058
Kent Historical Society Museum
234 South Water Street
330.678.2712
In 2006 the society moved its offices and museum to the downtown location. The society continues its strong tradition of displaying artifacts and maintaining the Kent Historical Resource Center for those researching local and family history.
Marvin Kent Home
409 West Main Street
330.673.4347
Standing Rock Cultural Arts
257 North Water Street
330.673.4970
The Downtown Gallery
KentState University – School of Art
141 East Main Street
330.676.1549
Portage County Historical Society
6549 North Chestnut Street– Ravenna
330.296.3523
Home of the Lowrie-Beatty Museum, the Carter House, an early pioneer homestead; the Strickland House, an 1860s brick home; the John Campbell Land Graft Office, 1810-1811; the Mahan Barn, an 1810 New England type barn; the Ford Seed Company Museum, housed in an old photographer’s studio; a restored Case Steam Traction Engine; the unique Proehl-Kline Clock Tower housing the 1882 Portage County Courthouse Seth Thomas clock and courthouse bell; a restored Log Cabin dating back to the 1830s; and various farm buildings. In addition, the Portage County Historical Society owns the site of the 1820s Mantua Glass Factory (Mantua).