Mount Pleasant — “Ohio Open Doors” is a statewide initiative being sponsored by the Ohio History Connection. During the week of Sept. 6-15, many of the historic sites owned by the Ohio History Connection will be open and hosting a variety of events.

In Mount Pleasant, the Quaker Yearly Meeting House will be open from 3-5 p.m. Saturday.

The Meeting House was built in 1814 as a gathering place for some 1,600 Quaker families. This will be a rare opportunity for architecture enthusiasts to climb up into the attic to view the windlass that was used to raise and lower the huge wall that was designed to separate the men from the women. It was an engineering feat to design a wall that could be made to disappear into the attic. Four men were required to turn the apparatus that raised the wall and coiled the graduated-sized panels around a central core. This created a vast auditorium measuring 60 by 90 feet that would accommodate as many as 2,000 attendees.

The steps are extremely steep, so the faint-of-heart might choose to enjoy staying on the main level and viewing a gathering of mannequins attired in bodices and bustles from the 1800s. A 20-inch waist was the norm and poke bonnets were the fashion. So please, join us at the Quaker Yearly Meeting House in Mount Pleasant and discover how walls and ladies’ waistlines were made to magically vanish.

All “Ohio Open Doors” functions are free of charge and open to the public. Docents will be on hand to answer questions.