Peppermint Shoppe Gifts

Exhibit Rooms, Meeting Room, & Offices

The front building houses the visitor center and gift shop.  Information on what is happening in the community such as entertainment, programs, and other events will be available.

The gift shop sells consignment items from local artists and artisans and other handmade folk art, brochures, maps of the local area, toys and games, historical society publications, t-shirts from local schools, and other booster items.

Volunteer help is always needed, so if you are interested in helping call 438-0941 or 291-2223.  Training is provided.

The Asahel Wright House, a 1806 two-story stone house, has two exhibit rooms on the main floor.  The original part of the house contains a corner stone fireplace that is unique (see picture above).  More can be learned about this house in our Walking Tour section of the web site.

Upstairs is office space for the Historical Society and Landmarks Foundation, and a meeting room that will accommodate 20 to 25 people.  Non-profit & civic/service groups in Centerville-Washington Twp. will not be charged.  Fees for other C-WT community groups are daytime - $10, evening - $30.  Outside community group fees are daytime - $30, evening - $50.  This is for a 3 hour period.  $10 per hour over 3 hours will be charged.  

If your group is interested in meeting in this unique setting, please call 291-2223 for information.

Peppermint Shoppe Gifts is open Tuesday through Friday from 12 noon until 4:00 p.m. 
 

The Asahel Wright House is open Tuesday through Friday from 12 noon until 4:00 p.m.  During March and April the house will be open from 1 to 3 p.m.
For information on both facilities please call 291-2223.

The Asahel Wright Community Center was a project conceived and created by a partnership of the Centerville-Washington Township Historical Society, the Centerville Arts Commission, the Landmarks Foundation of Centerville-Washington Township and the City of Centerville.  The 1999 renovation and refurbishment of the buildings was funded by the city and included a great deal of volunteer labor from all groups involved.  Presently, the center is run by the Historical Society and includes desk space for Landmarks Foundation.

Who was Asahel Wright?

Asahel Wright was born in New Hampshire in 1786, oldest child of 6, to Daniel and Sarah Freeman Wright.  In 1814, he came with his parents to Centerville, and in November, leased 7 acres of land from Aaron Nutt for 3 years.  This farm was located near the southeast corner or State Route 48 and Alex-Bell Road.  On August 16, 1816, Asahel purchased the south half of Lot #3 in the Nutt Plat from Aaron Nutt for $150.00.  This is the first recorded sale of the property which probably already included the stone house now known by his name.

During his early years in the community, Asahel Wright had a still house on the 7 acre farm.  He distilled several kinds of liquor and manufactured oil of peppermint.  From 1816 to 1824, he also owned the southwest corner of Main and Franklin, which may have been the site of his store.  In 1820, he married Martha Sweeney.  They had 7 children; the first 4 were born in Centerville (Edmund F., 1821; Samuel, 1822; Sara, 1823; and John Q., 1825).  In 1826, Asahel moved his family to Miami County, OH, where he purchased a farm near the proposed site of the National Road.  In addition to farming, he was a storekeeper, tavern keeper (1837) and postmaster.  He died on October 23, 1842, at the age of 56, and was buried in the Bethel Church Cemetery near Old Troy Pike, now the Huber Heights area in Dayton.  Asahel's younger brother was Dan Wright, Jr., grandfather of Orville and Wilbur Wright.  Dan also came to Centerville with the family.  In Centerville, he met and married Catherine Reeder, and their two oldest children were born in Centerville.

About 70 years later, Dan's famous grandsons rode their bicycles through Centerville on their way to Miamisburg.  The incident was recorded in a letter written by Wilbur Wright in 1892.

Article is from The Curator, Nov-Dec 1999, written by Libby Kingseed, Curator