ZANESVILLE – The Nelson T. Gant Foundation’s 21st Chili Fest is scheduled for Oct. 24-25, and it’ll be at a new and improved Gant House after some uninvited pests reared their heads two months earlier.
Termites hollowed out many of the hefty, 175-year-old support beams that held up the 27-by-40-foot dining room, leaving it on the verge of collapse. Its repair took up most of August and was supported by $40,000 Straker Foundation grant.
“We believe it’ll last another 175 years,” said Todd Ware, the Gant Foundation’s president. “They didn’t just fix it. They saved us. They would’ve had to shut down and condemn the building if it wasn’t for them.”
The Chili Fest will now double as one of the Gant Foundation’s biggest money-raising events.
It, too, will mark the start of a new initiative, where community members can have their local historically significant items temporarily displayed in the museum.
“We’re trying to engage the community in the museum,” Ware added.
Gant statue
Additionally, Ware provided updates on a project to install a larger-than-life statue of Nelson Gant.
Ware noted it was slow-going, but the Chili Fest could help drum up some more interest. The foundation has raised around $30,000 in 2025, making for a $37,000 total. It’ll need an additional $70,000 before the bronze statue can be made.
“In the end, the community will have something to be very, very proud of,” Ware noted.
A 3-foot mockup, or maquette, has been completed, along with a 6-foot version that’s sitting outside the Alan Cottrill Sculpture Museum and Studio in downtown Zanesville.
Ware hopes to take the maquette around to area businesses, local schools, or historical events to help teach Gant’s story.
The chili fest will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 24 and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 25. A meal is $10 and include chili, chips and a cookie. A quart of chili can be purchased for $15. Meals are eligible for delivery if there are five or more orders on Oct. 24.
The fundraiser’s proceeds will all go toward the Gant House’s operating costs. The statue project is funded solely by the sale of engraved, memorial bricks. They’re $250. Applications can be found on the Gant Foundation’s website.
The Gant House is located at 1845 W. Main St. For more information, Ware can be reached at 740-617-6177.
Shawn Digity is a reporter for the Zanesville Times Recorder. He can be emailed at sdigity@gannett.com or found on X at @ShawnDigityZTR.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Nelson T. Gant House repairs completed in time for return of Chili Fest fundraiser
Reporting by Shawn Digity, Zanesville Times Recorder / Zanesville Times Recorder
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