The Hanby House - Westerville, Ohio
Posted by: 
Mr. 0
N 40° 07.576 W 082° 56.257
17T E 334905 N 4443571
The home of William Hanby and his son Benjamin.
Waymark Code: WM1DPD
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 04/14/2007
Views: 174
William Hanby had been a servant to a cruel master when he was young. His parents also had been servants, who were basically tricked into many additional years of servitude. Because of his hatred of slavery he sought to protect and assist all who came to this house. His son Benjamin was a famous American composer known for his songs "Darling Nellie Gray," which was about the evils of slavery, "Up on the Housetop," the famous Christmas song and, the Christian hymn "Who is He in Yonder Stall." "Darling Nellie Gray" was written about Joe Selby, an escaped slave who arrived ill at the Hanby House. He was trying to reach Canada in order to earn money to free his love, Nellie Gray. Sadly, his illness overcame him and he passed at the Hanby House. Benjamin was moved by Selby's story and wrote the song in his honor. The song spread throughout the country, and is said to have inspired many other slaves to take a chance at escaping to freedom.
The house is currently owned by the Ohio Historical Society as a state memorial, and operated by the Westerville Historical Society. Tours of the house are available on Saturday's and Sunday's from 1p to 4p from May through September. There is a minimal fee of $1.50 for adults, and $0.50 for children aged 6-12yrs.
More information can be found at The Ohio Historical Society, gcah.org, and the Wikipedia entry about Darling Nellie Gray