ASHVILLE/CIRCLEVILLE, OH — One of Pickaway County’s most treasured landmarks will open its doors this Sunday, December 7, 2025, for the annual Vintage Noel Christmas Open House at the historic Mt. Oval Farm, 3801 Emerson Road.
Built in 1832 by pioneering cattleman William Renick and his wife Jane Boggs Renick, the elegant Federal-style brick home sits atop a distinctive oval-shaped hill that gives the property its name. With its rare central ballroom floor plan and architectural echoes of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, Mt. Oval is widely regarded as one of Ohio’s finest surviving early-19th-century farmhouses. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and has served as a working farm, cattle-shipping hub, and community gathering place for nearly two centuries.
This Sunday from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m., guest interior designer **Caleb McCarthy will deck the halls in authentic Victorian-era splendor—think fresh evergreens, candlelight, period ornaments, and twinkling trees. Visitors can enjoy live music and a special “Sing a Long with Mary Farrell” while savoring festive refreshments in rooms that once hosted cattle buyers traveling the nearby Ohio & Erie Canal routes.
Tickets are $10 (advance purchase recommended). They may be bought Tuesday–Friday, 1–4 p.m. at the Pickaway County Historical Society (162 W. Union St., Circleville) or paid at the door the day of the event.
Now cared for by the Pickaway County Historical Society—thanks to the 2012 bequest of longtime resident Mary Ruth Tolbert—Mt. Oval continues to welcome the public for tours, school programs, and seasonal events, preserving its legacy as both a stunning historic home and a living piece of Ohio agricultural history.
For tickets or information, call 740-474-1495 or email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]). Don’t miss this chance to step back in time and celebrate Christmas the way the Renicks did almost 200 years ago!
