Historic Walking Tours in Oxford, OH

Enjoy Oxford offers a couple of walking tours highlighting the history of higher education in Oxford, OH. Extensive brochures are available with maps, photographs of the featured buildings and corresponding historical sketches. The brochures can be accessed through the Enjoy Oxford website or print copies are available when visiting their office.

Walking Tour of Oxford’s UNIVERSITY HISTORIC DISTRICT

Designated by the City of Oxford in 1979, the University Historic District is one of the city’s three historic districts and the only one that was originally comprised almost entirely of residential architecture. The U-shaped district of nine blocks on East High Street, South Campus Avenue, and East Spring Street, nearly surrounds the original University Square. 

Walking Tour of the WESTERN COLLEGE FOR WOMEN HISTORIC DISTRICT

The Western College for Women Historic District was designated by the City of Oxford in 1995 and is the only one entirely on a college campus. This self-guided walking tour covers several acres of what was chartered as the Western Female Seminary in 1853. The booklet provides brief descriptions of the history of 24 sites and biographical informationabout the people whose names are connected with those sites. school was in operation, from 1855-1974. Most of the campus was listed as a district in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. 

You can also read Amy Bertrand's "Oxford, Ohio: A small university town with a lot to do," published by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on March 15, 2021. Bertrand describes her trip to Oxford and offers a variety of suggestions for other places to see while visiting.