Golden Lamb celebrates a century of family stewardship
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The Golden Lamb in the 1950s. Photos: Courtesy of the Golden Lamb
Some anniversaries celebrate a place. This one celebrates the people who've kept it going.
Why it matters: The Golden Lamb is Ohio's oldest continuously operating hotel and restaurant, having welcomed guests since 1803.
- This year marks a century of Portman family ownership that has preserved one of the state's most recognizable landmarks.
Driving the news: The Golden Lamb is celebrating the milestone throughout the year, with an event on Oct. 11 set to honor current and former employees, the Portman family and community leaders.
Flashback: The Golden Lamb began as a tavern opened by Jonas Seaman in 1803, just as Ohio was becoming a state.
- Robert Jones — the grandfather of former U.S. Sen. Rob Portman — took over the property in 1926, and the family has owned it ever since.
- Over the years, the inn has hosted 12 U.S. presidents, writers like Charles Dickens and Mark Twain, and generations of Ohio families.
What they're saying: "Reaching 100 years of Portman family ownership is an incredible milestone for us," general manager Steve Fritz told Axios via email.
- "However, what we're really celebrating are the people who have made The Golden Lamb what it is today. For generations, our team members have welcomed guests and created the kind of experiences that keep families coming back year after year."
- Fritz noted former employees still stop by to share stories from their time at the inn, adding those memories "have become part of our history just as much as the building itself."
- "As we celebrate this anniversary, we want to honor those contributions and thank the community that has supported The Golden Lamb for more than two centuries," he continued. "We hope this celebration is as much about bringing people together as it is about looking back on our history."