Putnam House

Ohio History

Rufus Putnam's House

The museum was actually built around this two-story house, right where it stood as part of the Campus Martius stockade. The fort looked like a row of apartments, forming a protected inner courtyard; blockhouses on the corners made it even safer. Remember, this is Indian country! The bell on the right was a gift from French Queen Marie Antoinette (hence the name “Marietta”). Interestingly enough, all the other houses were moved to other locations when their owners got land—Rufus Putnam is the only one who left his on the original site.