Brand New Downtown Farmers Market - Vendor Meeting

Jail of Terror Opens October 2

Nightmare in Newark at the Jail of Terror Opens on October 2

First-ever Haunted House at the Licking County Historic Jail Showcases the Building’s History and Mystery

NEWARK, OHIO, September 9, 2015 – Already shrouded in mystery from its 126-year history, this October brings even more thrills and scares to the Licking County Historic Jail during Nightmare in Newark at the Jail of Terror, the first haunted house held at the historic building.

Operating October 2 – 31 on Fridays and Saturdays (7:30 p.m. to midnight) and Sundays (6 to 10 p.m.), Nightmare in Newark at the Jail of Terror will provide frights and fun for the entire family with some of the haunted house industry’s top scares. General admission tickets are $15 with fast pass tickets available for $25.

Built in 1889, the Licking County Historic Jail housed hundreds of inmates throughout the years, including those found guilty of gruesome and heinous murders. A particularly dark time in the jail’s history involved Carl Etherington, a Dry-Agent Detective held for protection from a mob of people who were angry over his actions to make the county alcohol free. The crowd ambushed the jail, dragged Etherington out to the street, beat him to death, and then lynched him from a telegraph pole.

Long closed as a jail, the building has been the subject of many paranormal investigations and was featured on The Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures. These examinations confirmed the jail to be a truly haunted location with the spirits of the building’s inmates still confined within the walls, including the ghost of Carl Etherington.

Nightmare in Newark at the Jail of Terror brings visitors face to face with the sometimes brutal history of the Licking County Historic Jail, one terror at a time. The event also provides attendees the opportunity to preserve the jail’s history, with proceeds supporting the restoration for this significant and historic building.

For more information about Nightmare in Newark at the Jail of Terror, visit http://wwww.jailofterror.com or call 740-345-JAIL.  

About Nightmare in Newark at the Jail of Terror

The first-ever haunted house at the Licking County Historic Jail, Nightmare in Newark at the Jail of Terror will be held Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, October 2 –31, 2015. As a building already surrounded by mystery and reports of paranormal activity, the historic jail and its gothic architecture serve as the perfect backdrop for a Halloween scare. Tickets are $15 or $25 for Fast Pass. More information will be available at http://jailofterror.com.  

About the Licking County Historic Jail

Opened in 1889, the Licking County Historic Jail is a pillar of Licking County and Newark, Ohio’s history. The jail holds many stories including those of justice (and injustice), fond family memories of staff members who lived in and managed the jail, and hauntings and paranormal activity reported on the property. The Licking County Governmental Preservation Society (LCGPS) oversees the jail and its restoration – so the stories of this historic and monumental building can continue to be told. For more information, visit http://lcjail.org. 

Additional Casting Calls for Nightmare in Newark - Jail of Terror

Additional casting calls are scheduled for the Nightmare in Newark - Jail of Terror.

• Casting Call: Nightmare in Newark at the Jail of Terror
• Times: August 29 and September 5 at 1 p.m.
• Location: The Licking County Historic Jail, 46 S. 3^rd Street, Newark, Ohio 43055
• Details: Actors and special effects and makeup artists are invited to attend this casting call for the first-ever Nightmare in Newark at the Jail of Terror (haunted house at the Licking County Historic Jail). Those auditioning for an acting part should be prepared do a short monologue of their idea of a creature of terror. Special effects and makeup artists should bring their resumes and portfolios. For additional information, casting call participants should contact Tim Gartner at tgartner@windstream.net or (740) 323-2356 (leave message).

Downtown Newark Construction - Phase Timeline

Downtown Newark is going through some major renovations over the next few years.  Yes, there will be pain during the construction period, but when the dust settles, we will all be able to look around at a beautiful downtown and be thankful that the City of Newark and the private sector worked together to get it all done.

Below is a map showing the different phases of construction along with construction timelines.

And The Survey Says. . .

Last month the Chamber conducted an extensive survey of downtown Newark property owners. We asked them a variety of questions about the redevelopment efforts being talked about for the downtown area.

We have compiled the results and you can find the complete report here:

http://www.lickingcountychamber.com/contentment/applications/edocs/docs/Downtown%20Survey.pdf

The Bread Guy

I was disappointed to learn that the "Bread Guy" will no longer be on the square in downtown Newark. I am referring to Great Harvest Bread and Thomas Campbell. I met Thomas a couple of years ago at our Farmers Market. He would have people lined up waiting for his arrival each week. One Friday he asked me if I had time to show him around downtown. We looked at several spaces that I knew were available and before long the "Free Slices" sign was a fixture on South Park Place.

When Thomas informed me that he was closing his store at the end of July, I could tell he hated to have to make that decision. He loves our downtown. He enjoys looking out his store window at the courthouse and considers himself fortunate to have been here for a short period of time. I will certainly miss Great Harvest Bread and Thomas. He will continue to operate his store in Pickerington. You can still catch the "Bread Guy" every Friday at the Farmers Market through the first Friday in October.

Revitalization Efforts

There have been many attempts at revitializing downtown Newark in the past. Some have seen progress while others have fizzled out for one reason or another. Revitalization is not a one-time event; if done properly, it is an on-going project that takes quite a bit of time and is probably never complete. There will always be a next step, or a next phase.


Nearly eight or nine months ago another attempt was reborn. A group of dedicated individuals representing a variety of businesses, organizations and local government came together to brainstorm on what the future of downtown Newark could look like. I left that meeting with new enthusiasim. It was refreshing to see the progress a group can make when each individual contributes his or her own talents and skills instead of one person or organization trying to do it all. Take a close look at the entrance to downtown off the the 4th Street exit. The landscape has certainly changed drastically, and this is only in the tear-down stage!


Below are some photos I took while walking through some vacant second and third floor buildings in downtown. Loft living is becoming more and more popular these days. These are obviously the "before" photos. I hope to be able to someday post the "after" ones as well.





If you would like to learn more about this new effort, you can read about it in our 2008 edition of Images of Licking County magazine. Another valuable resource is Newark Alive. This site was created by Steve Herb with NAIOP Anderson Layman. He is one of the individuals I talked about above. Check it out!