COLUMBUS, Ohio — Tucked away just off I-77 in Dover is the Ernest Warther Museum and Gardens.

What You Need To Know

  • The Ernest Warther Museum and Gardens houses the life's work of a genius, world-renowned master carver, Ernest “Mooney” Warther

  • Warther was born in Ohio in 1885

  • He's best known across the country for his works honoring his idol Abraham Lincoln

  • The Ernest Warther Museum and Gardens is located at 331 Karl Ave. in Dover

Inside, the life's work of a genius, world-renowned master carver, Ernest “Mooney” Warther. 

Fourth-generation family member, Warther's great-granddaughter Kristen Harmon is the assistant director at the museum. 

“We've always had a steady stream of people coming in, in amazement. But my full appreciation for it probably has been in the last five years as I came on in a more official capacity. You realize the importance of his work, of his mission, the foresight of it all,” Harmon said.

Warther was born in Ohio in 1885, only had a second-grade education and worked in a steel mill as a teenager.

Warther spent his spare time developing his carving skills. 

In the 1920s, he quit his job and toured the country, devoting all his time to his craft, hand carving the evolution of steam locomotives, using thousands of pieces of wood, ebony and ivory. 

During World War II, Warther took a break from carving and made commando-style fighting knives for members of the military. 

“After Dave, his youngest son, committed to the Navy, that's when things really changed and he would forge these. Because as a parent, he felt that it was real and so the meaning became a lot more,” Harmon said. 

Warther kept carving until his death in 1971 at age 87. In later years, he completed this all ivory model of the New York Central train. 

Perhaps he's best known across the country for his works honoring his idol Abraham Lincoln. 

Warther's woodshop remains a time capsule inside the museum, and Harmon said although she never met her great grandfather, it's up to her to continue giving back to a man who contributed greatly to the hobby, the Dover community and our country. 

“His main mission was to create something that would last forever. And he felt the steam engine was a crucial part of our history. What he was able to accomplish in the course of his life, his consistency, his artistic ability, but also his engineering, his mentality as a person. I think there’s a great deal we can learn from him,” Harmon said. 

The Ernest Warther Museum and Gardens is located at 331 Karl Ave. in Dover, Ohio, about 82 miles south of Cleveland. 

For more information, click here to visit the Ernest Warther Museum and Gardens website.

What You Need To Know