THE SHADEVILLE HOUSE
Stagecoaches from Columbus used to stop at the old Shadeville house.
Now cars speed by unaware of its historic background.
In the village of Shadeville, on Route 23, south of Columbus, stands a substantial stagecoach inn which was the first stop for stages after leaving Columbus. Here horses were exchanged for fresh ones for the next stage stop was Circleville. The house, embowered in shrubbery and trees, has what must have been at one time, a fine side portico; this can be seen in the picture. For a number of years during the heyday of stage coach years, Jacob Reab was the genial host and proprietor of the tavern. Spacious and roomy stables made the stop there especially attractive to stage coach drivers.
It is constructed of brick and both the interior and exterior of the building are today much the same as they were 100 years ago. It is of immense proportions, probably the largest inn in the State outside of the larger cities during the period of its activity. Tavern keeping on the stagecoach roads was very profitable in those days and the Shadeville Inn had the additional advantage of being on the Ohio-Erie Canal. An immense flour, grist and saw mill was also located at Shadeville and these brought in many customers of one kind or another. The inn was built in 1850 and was first kept by Jonathan Hibbs.
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