Ramsdell House

“There’s a sweet, sweet spirit in this place”...a home built for and always used for good! The Ramsdell House was completed in 1858 and was built by Zophar Ramsdell, a New England abolitionist who was recruited to bring his family to Ceredo, West Virginia to establish an anti-slavery colony on the very border between slave versus free states on the Ohio River, making it a perfect last stop on The Underground Railroad. Zophar and his wife, Almeda, became leaders in the community. Their home was a center of activity, hosting church meetings, schooling, caring for the sick and injured, birthing babies, burying the dead...and, sheltering those seeking freedom through the Underground Railroad on their last stop before crossing the Ohio River to freedom. A shoe and boot-maker by trade, Zophar became a Captain and Quartermaster in The Union Army, and after the war served as Postmaster and as a representative in the West Virginia State Senate while Almeda kept things running smoothly at home. The first brick home in the area was built atop a Native American burial mound out of bricks made on the property. The extra elevation protected the home from the Flood of 1937. The home continues to reveal “treasures” in the attic, floors, and walls including an extensive collection of letters and documents. It would seem that “The Dell” as it has come to be affectionately known, has been preserved so that its’ story can be shared.