Photograph of Orange Johnson House Burning of the Mortgage

This photograph was taken on April 6th, 1973 at the Worthington Historical Society's Orange Johnson House at an event to celebrate the burning of the mortgage. The Worthington Historical Society purchased the Orange Johnson House on November 25th, 1963 for $22,500. After a nine year restoration project, the museum was dedicated on October 7th, 1972. Another milestone was reached on April 6th, 1973, just six months after the museum's official opening, when the mortgage on the property was paid off. The occasion was celebrated with a burning of the mortgage in the cooking fireplace at the museum. Pictured are Jack Wilbur (Trustee), Ruth Thormyer, Gordon Clark (Board President), Jane Trucksis (Curator) and George Thormyer (Restoration Architect/Building Committee Chair).