Wilmington College

In the 19th century, Quakers migrated from the Carolinas and from eastern Ohio to southwestern Ohio, drawn by rich soil and an abundance of fresh water and springs, and became the dominant religious group in the region, with Clinton County known as the "Quaker County of Ohio." In August 1870, members of the Society of Friends purchased an unfinished building on 14 acres of land at auction and founded Wilmington College, the first Quaker institution of higher learning established in Ohio. College Hall is the original structure, the first classes began in April 1871, and Wilmington's importance as a Quaker center grew with the college, which houses the Quaker Collection of historical, literary, and genealogical publications in the Watson Library.

Wilmington, Ohio · United States