This 1901 steel carriage hearse was on display at the Fayette County Museum Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. Inside is a basket-type casket used in transport. The hearse requires two horses to pull it due to its weight.
Gail Allen | R-H photos
The black hearse was acquired by the Fayette County Historical Society in 1961 from a funeral home in Beaver, Ohio. Another similar hearse was also acquired in the deal for purchase, both were transported here by Harold Engle, who actually purchased the second hearse.
The Fayette County Museum has a collection of old typewriters and communication devices from the past.
WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, Ohio — The Fayette County Historical Society opened the Fayette County Museum for an Open Doors event recently. A vintage hearse was on display on Friday.
This hearse was manufactured by the Riddle Coach and Hearse Company of Ravenna, Ohio and utilized by the Davis Funeral Home of Beaver, Ohio in 1906. In 1926, it was placed into storage when motorized hearses were used.
The hearse came to Fayette County in 1961 as a gift from the funeral home, along with a gray hearse from the same manufacturer. The deal to the Historical Society was to sell the gray hearse and the proceeds be given to the funeral home. The gray hearse was sold to Harold Engle for $500, and he transported both hearses to Washington Court House. After payment to the funeral home, the Davis family donated $250 back to the society.
The black hearse is a McKinley-type since it was the same design used for the funeral of President McKinley in 1901. The hearse requires two horses to pull the heavy steel carriage, and the leather top was replaced after the society acquired it.
The museum facility was also open for visitors to walk through the rooms of history and artifacts from the past. One example is a closet display of old typewriters and communication devices. The museum also has various books for sale depicting Fayette County history.
