Zoar Town Hall / Zoar and The Ohio & Erie Canal

Side A: The Society of Separatists of Zoar built the Zoar Town Hall in 1887 when the village was formally incorporated. Established in 1817 by German religious dissidents, Zoar became one of the most successful experiments in communal living during the 19th century. Early hardships encouraged the Zoarites, in 1819, to establish a communal system to ensure economic and social security. The Society disbanded in 1898. The Zoar Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. Side B: In 1825, the Society of Separatists of Zoar contracted to build seven miles of the Ohio and Erie Canal, including four locks, just southwest of the village. Payment for the work, completed in 1828, allowed the society to settle its land debt. The canal made a significant economic contribution to the village, bringing packet boat passengers to the Zoar Hotel and providing new outlets for goods produced by the Society. Today the canal is part of the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor.