Continue south (from SR 32) on Wakefield Mound Road past several early nineteenth century houses, notably the Barnes House (3 miles south of the Route 32 intersection, on the left), where Abraham Lincoln stayed while visiting the impressive earthworks which stood directly across the road (now only traces). This square is the only one known to have aligned with the cardinal points, its gateways opening due north, south, east, and west. The site is now largely lost to gravel quarries.

This huge circle and square stood at the time on land owned by the prominent Barnes Family (hence the effort to re-name it the Barnes Works), who, obviously impressed with the earthworks, built their stately brick mansion exactly on the cross-axis of the ancient square.

Squier and Davis drew the “Seal Township” Earthworks, a perfect circle plus the only major geometric earthwork (the square) aligned north-south.

Lower Scioto Valley

Previous

Next