For 30 years, Medina residents have wandered the town's historic square after dark to watch local actors bring long-gone neighbors back to life. This year, the tradition known as Spirits of the Past is marking that milestone with something new: a seated, ADA-accessible performance designed for people who can't manage the lantern-lit walking route, alongside six freshly researched stories pulled from the county's archives.
The event, presented jointly by the Medina County Historical Society, Medina County Show Biz Company, and Medina County Arts Council, has long paired local archival research with community theater to recreate scenes from Medina's past, according to Cleveland.com. The 60-minute guided walking tours will run on September 10, 11, and 12, departing every 10 minutes between 7 and 9 p.m. from the rear parking lot of the Medina County Administration Building at 144 N. Broadway St. Two lantern-carrying guides lead each group, starting in the Old Town Graveyard before moving on to performance stations around Public Square, per The Gazette.
A New Seated Option After a Rocky Recovery
Organizers created the sit-down format this year specifically to reach attendees who can't comfortably handle the walking tour, according to Cleveland.com. Sheila Noel said the goal is to welcome people unable to comfortably participate in the walking tour. The ADA-accessible performance will take place September 13 at 3 p.m. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, replacing a prior accessible arrangement that had been offered through a partnership with Miss Molly's Tea Room.
The shift comes as the event continues working through difficulties tied to the pandemic. Cleveland.com reports that Spirits of the Past was significantly impacted by COVID and has had difficulty recovering since, with organizers citing declining participation and rising hosting costs as reasons behind this year's new format. The pivot to a dedicated seated venue, paired with the existing walking tours, is the latest attempt to keep the 30-year tradition financially sustainable while broadening who can attend.
Six New Stories Drawn From the County's Past
This year's lineup previews six new stories, including the tale of Mattie Patton, the founding of the Afternoon Club, the Old Phoenix Bank robbery, the Hallock Model T chemical fire engine, and the lives of James Redfield and Lt. Frederick Phisterer, according to Cleveland.com. Members of the Medina County Historical Society research and write each story before local actors and Medina County Show Biz volunteers bring them to life on the square.
Phisterer's story carries particular weight among the additions. He entered U.S. Army service from Medina County and was awarded the Medal of Honor in December 1894 for voluntarily carrying vital battalion intelligence under heavy fire at the Battle of Stones River in December 1862, according to Wikipedia. He went on to serve in the 18th U.S. Infantry Regiment and later became a prominent military historian and author, per the same account.
The Afternoon Club, another of the new additions, traces back to October 21, 1898, when Medina residents Elizabeth McDowell Hewes and Mary Shepard Griesinger founded it as a literary and civic space for local women to discuss literature and pressing issues of the day, including women's suffrage, according to Cleveland Historical. The club's founding mission was to inspire and educate its members, per that account.
A Bank Heist Tied to a House Still Standing Today
The Old Phoenix Bank robbery, one of the six new vignettes, connects directly to a Medina landmark that still stands on Bankers Row. The bank was long headed by President R.M. McDowell, whose 1890 Queen Anne Shingle-Style home — the McDowell-Phillips House — was acquired by the Medina County Historical Society in 2019 for preservation, according to the Ohio History Connection. The 14-room house is one of the city's largest historic residences.
The performances themselves unfold across Medina's historic Public Square and its surrounding eight-block district, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The area preserves a concentration of Victorian, Greek Revival, and Italianate architecture rebuilt after major town fires in the 1840s and 1870s, according to Main Street Medina. At its center sits a New England-style park that has hosted community band concerts continuously since 1859, per the same source.
Tickets, Timing and What to Expect
Walking tour tickets are limited to 10 guests per time slot for presale purchase, with adult tickets priced at $8 and children 12 and under at $4, according to Cleveland.com. Online sales run through September 2, after which tickets will only be available in person and on the day of the event. The ADA-accessible sit-down performance runs $9 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under.
Both formats are billed as family-friendly and appropriate for all ages, per Cleveland.com. Sheila Noel told the outlet that the event's longevity comes from local history, storytelling, theater and community involvement. The historical figures are portrayed by local actors drawn largely from Medina County Show Biz Company, which has staged more than 100 productions since its first show in January 1980, according to the group's own account.
Behind the scenes, the research effort is anchored at the Medina County Historical Society's John Smart House Museum on Elmwood Street, which also serves as the organization's headquarters and holds Victorian-era furnishings and county relics gathered over more than a century, per the Medina County Historical Society. Local officials have also pointed to broader momentum from nationwide activities tied to America's upcoming 250th anniversary as a factor bolstering public enthusiasm for this year's event, per The Gazette.
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