John Parker House

Dewey welcomed us and gave us a very informative tour. Very interesting! John Parker was a slave who bought his freedom and was an abolitionist and inventor! Check it out in Ripley, Ohio

Very informative tour. Dewey Scott sat down and thoroughly explained about the house, and John Parker's upbringing and his adult life. I was excited to see more of what Ripley has. I even purchased his self automobile tour booklet so I can go around and see what else Ripley has that relates to the underground railroad.

A great off the beaten path historical site.
Ripley, Ohio, is one the documented sites where fleeing enslavement crossed the Ohio River on to free soil. John Parker, and his wife, were African Americans who helped guide fugitive slaves on the first leg of their journey on the road freedom. For many that journey would end in Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada, just across the Detroit River from Detroit, Michigan.

The docents are amazing!! Dewey transports you back in time when telling the story of John Parker! The other docents share Cascais details about Parker's work as an extractor on the Underground Railroad, his family, and his work as the owner of an iron foundry.

House was fun to explore and there are some cool artifacts. The best part of the tour was the tour guide / story teller! He will sit you down and keep you captivated for over 30 minutes listening to the story of John Parker. An amazing story and awesome monologue will captivate you until the end!

Great history lover’s site. John Rankin house is a short drive away. Could even walk, but the Rankin house is straight up a hill that is not for the faint of heart. But do see both together. Parker house will only take about an hour to see it all, if that long.

The Docent, Dewey, gave a truly engaging presentation. My husband who, I typically have to drag into all the history sites we have visited, hung around after to specifically tell him how he made the history fascinating and well told.

An amazing place to see the Ohio River and learn a little history

Great visit to a historic figure homestead. One of the more interesting historic homes in America. Also had many of his inventions and manufactured parts in what was the foundry.

I didn't get to see the inside of the house, except through the windows. But I can tell you, there is more here than a well-kept house. There is a re-creation of Mr. Parker's iron foundry to the rear of the property. There is also the John Parker Memorial park, which is thought provoking, poignant and lovely. By all means, VISIT! And after, go another mile and visit Rev. John Rankin's house as well.

Museum was very clean. The gentleman docent the museum yesterday was very well informed and helpful. I loved how the museum was put together and the show of inventions in the outside building . I enjoyed walking thru the park with 2 grandsons 13 and 8.

Our tour guide was awesome.
He was very knowledgeable and a fantastic story teller. I could have listen to him talk for hours. I learned a lot.

Closed for winter, check their website for opening date, was there for walking dogs in park, watching river run

If you have any interest in the REAL Underground Railroad, go to Ripley, OH. There you will find over 20 properties where Abolitionists and freed slaves assisted many slaves to freedom. The Parker house is one of them, owned by a very enterprising freed slave and his family. The curator is awesome and keeps you captivated with his stories & knowledge. One visit isn't enough!

After a visit to the John Rankin house we stopped by the John Parker house to learn more about the underground railroad.. We did not expect what we heard from Dewey. As you'll see in other reviews, he astonished us with his knowledge and his presentation. The house is great but with Dewey as host, he made in it remarkable. Thanks Dewey!!

This review is more about the curator of the musem and not really the musem. When you go there. You are greeted by mr duey. He greets you into his house as if he was Mr Parker himself. He is a great story teller. The way he tells his stories you would think he was actually there when all these things were going on. He is very passionate about what he is doing. You are sucked into his stories like a tornado in Kansas. If you are in town try to stop and see mr duey I mean the Parker house you won't regret it.

Mr. Dewey Scott is one of best docent and storytellers I have seen. John Parker story should be heard by everyone

Excellent and interesting place to visit! Dewey was an engaging speaker. He exemplifies the way history should be taught - telling the stories of history! He knows his facts about John Parker and the surrounding abolitionists era. Certainly worth your time to visit!

This museum is worth seeing. Everything is clean and well kept. The displays are wonderful. Our narrator was so knowledgeable. We lost ourselves in his story. He did a wonderful job. Thank you everyone for preserving this piece of history.

I would say that this is a must-see attraction! It is a testament to former slave John Parker a incredibly remarkable and determined man who willingly put himself in extreme peril as a conductor AND an extractor on the Underground Railroad. He was also a gifted metal worker (examples are seen throughout the house)and became very wealthy, with several patents to his name. His fascinating life was skillfully shared very by our guide Dewey. He would humbly deny it but he IS a master storyteller!