Madog Center for Welsh Studies
The Madog Center for Welsh Studies is located on the campus of the University of Rio Grande / Rio Grande Community College in the midst of one of the largest Welsh-American settlements in North America. The center is unique and is the only center for Welsh studies in North America, serving both the USA and Canada. Established by the University’s board in June 1996, the mission of the Madog Center for Welsh Studies is to foster understanding and appreciation for Welsh Heritage and contemporary Welsh Culture.
The Madog Center is an outgrowth of a conference held on campus in June 1995, the First Conference of the North American Association for the Study of Welsh Culture and History. Participants felt the need to establish an association which would act as a center for study and discussion of the many facets of Welsh culture and history which they felt were of interest to the North American audience, thus NAASWCH was formed.
For almost 30 years, the center has been central to the preservation of Welsh history and culture in Southeastern Ohio which saw a high percentage of Welsh immigration in the mid 1800’s. Programs today include:
Study Abroad exchange with Welsh universities
Welsh internship program which brings a Welsh speaking professional to the center to represent Wales, and teach Welsh language, culture and history classes
Local school engagement
Faculty Fellowship
Artist in Residency
Management of the Welsh Scenic Byway
Library containing books from Wales, books about Wales and a collection of books focusing on the Welsh history in North America, the center has also grown to include family history and genealogy room
Assisting with the operation of the Welsh-American Heritage Museum.
The Madog Center for Welsh Studies is named after Prince Madog ab Owain. Prince Madog was a younger son of Owain Gwynedd, King of North Wales, and Queen Brenda, daughter of the Lord of Camo. Little is known about Madog’s life; however, it is likely that he was born at Dolwyddelan castle in the twelfth century. Prince Madog, a handsome and mild-mannered man sailed from Wales in the Gwennan Gorn to seek his fortune. Upon his return to Gwynedd, he convinced several people that he had discovered a new land where people lived in peace. Many believed this new land was America. Therefore, the name “Madog Center” seems fitting for a center which promotes cultural, linguistic, and other links between Wales and America.
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Welsh Scenic Byway
The 60-mile Welsh Scenic Byway, one of 27 byways in the Ohio Scenic Byways Program, originates at Gallipolis on the Ohio River, home of Our House Tavern and the Silver Bridge Memorial, and runs northwest along U.S. Rt. 35 to Jackson. At Rio Grande, travelers can visit Bob Evans Farms, Log Cabin Village, Raccoon Creek where Daniel Boone hunted, and the Madog Center for Welsh Studies. The Welsh Scenic Byway includes twelve Welsh churches and cemeteries, three museums, three charcoal furnaces and several historic sites in downtown Jackson.
Welsh American Heritage Museum
The Welsh American Heritage Museum is housed in the old Welsh Congregational Church in the village of Oak Hill, Ohio. The museum is a 501c3 charitable organization. Their mission is to preserve and promote Welsh History and Culture. The Welsh-American Heritage Museum was chartered in 1972 after a group of concerned local Welsh-Americans bought the building that had once been the Welsh Congregational Church in Oak hill.
