Stories of Preservation, Restoration, and Community Spirit from Coal Mining Country

Wednesday, November 29
7:30pm ET

Shawnee is one of many small villages in Southeast Ohio that boomed during the region’s coal mining heyday in the late 19th century. One of the town’s structures that still speaks to this era of significance is the Tecumseh Theater, built in 1908 to such proportions that it was considered a skyscraper at the time. After the industry moved out of the area in the 1920s, Shawnee fell into hard times and its population plummeted from 4,000 to 500 residents. Its once grand theater fell into disrepair, but it managed to survive neglect, fire, and a planned demolition before its restoration journey began in the late 1970s. Today, Shawnee is a thriving community and the Tecumseh Theater stands as an evolving success and a cultural cornerstone.

NPC is thrilled to join with the Sunday Creek Associates, the Little Cities of Black Diamonds, Ohio’s Winding Road, and other local partners for an evening of unforgettable storytelling that will explore the legacy of the Tecumseh Theater as a historic cultural center, and a microcosm of not only the Southeast Ohio region, but our nation as a whole. From economic turbulence, to tragedy and loss, to re-growth and restoration, Shawnee’s story is one that feels close to home whether you live in a small heartland village or a sprawling coastal city. 

This event will be held on Wednesday, November 29th, at 7:30pm ET both live at the Tecumseh Theater in Shawnee, Ohio, and livestreamed via Zoom.

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcofu6rpj8rGNNTdf-1fCKJ97965Tcp6JLS#/registration