McGuffey House and Museum

The McGuffey House and Museum, located at 401 East Spring Street in Oxford, Ohio, is a National Historic Landmark and a popular tourist attraction. The museum aims to preserve and exhibit materials related to the life of William Holmes McGuffey, the creator of the McGuffey Eclectic Reader series, as well as the history of Miami University and 19th-century domestic life in southwest Ohio.

William Holmes McGuffey, a faculty member at Miami University, compiled the first edition of the McGuffey Eclectic Reader series in this very house in 1836. These readers were widely used in American schools, teaching important lessons in reading, spelling, and civic education.

The museum showcases unique artifacts, such as the octagonal table where the McGuffey Eclectic Reader was designed, and the lectern used by McGuffey during his time as a professor at the university. The house itself is a beautiful example of Federal vernacular architecture, with a west wing added in the 1860s.

Visitors can explore the collections and interpretations of McGuffey, his readers, the history of Miami University, and the history of southwest Ohio. The museum is open Thursday through Saturday from 1:00pm to 5:00pm, and observes Miami University closings and special events. Don't miss the opportunity to visit this significant piece of American educational history.