The Joshua Reed Giddings Law Office is a historic commercial building at 102 East Jefferson Street in

Jefferson, Ohio Jefferson is a village in and the county seat of Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,226 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Ashtabula micropolitan area, northeast of Cleveland. Modern-day Jefferson sports the worl ...

. Built in 1823, it was the law office of

Joshua Reed Giddings Joshua Reed Giddings (October 6, 1795 – May 27, 1864) was an American attorney, politician and a prominent opponent of slavery. He represented Northeast Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1838 to 1859. He was at first a member of ...

(1795-1864), a prominent

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

who served as a

U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from 1838 to 1859. The building was recognized as a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

for Giddings' role in the slavery debates preceding the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. It is now owned by the local historical society, and is a museum open by appointment.

Description and history

The Joshua Read Giddings Law Office is located east of downtown Jefferson, on the south side of East Jefferson Street, across from the Jefferson Baptist Church and next to a small public park called Giddings Park. It is a small single-story wood-frame structure, covered by a gabled roof and finished in wooden clapboards. The front facade has the main entrance on the right and a window on the left; a similar arrangement is on the back as well. The doorway is flanked by slender pilasters and topped by a corniced entablature. The building has simple corner boards, which rise to a narrow entablature; the gable above is fully pedimented. The interior of the building consists of a single chamber. The building was constructed in 1823. From 1838 to 1859 it served as the law office of

. Giddings was a vocal abolitionist, who pressed debates on slavery during his service in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

. His radical pronouncements earned him the

censure A censure is an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism. In parliamentary procedure, it is a debatable main motion that could be adopted by a majority vote. Among the forms that it can take are a stern rebuke by a legislature, a spir ...

of Congress for violating the body's

gag rule A gag rule is a rule that limits or forbids the raising, consideration, or discussion of a particular topic, often but not always by members of a legislative or decision-making body. A famous example of gag rules is the series of rules concernin ...

forbidding discussion of slavery. Giddings is believed to a significant effect on the antislavery stance of President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

. The building is now a museum owned and operated by the Ashtabula County Historical Society. Originally located next to Giddings' house on North Chestnut Street, it was moved to its present location in 2013. File:Giddins Law Office Placard-No1.jpg, A placard near the law office memorializing Joshua Reed Giddings' public service work File:Giddings-Law-Office-No1.jpg, The law office of Joshua Reed Giddings

References

External links

Ashtabula County Historical Society
* {{National Register of Historic Places Buildings and structures in Ashtabula County, Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Ashtabula County, Ohio Commercial buildings completed in 1823 National Historic Landmarks in Ohio Federal architecture in Ohio Museums in Ashtabula County, Ohio History museums in Ohio Historic American Buildings Survey in Ohio 1823 establishments in Ohio Law offices Legal history of Ohio

Description and history

See also

References

External links