Crossman Begins Ohio Statehouse Duties

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On January 7, 2019 each of the many members of the Ohio House of Representatives joined Ohio’s 133rd General Assembly by taking their oath of office. On that day, the members were neither Republican nor Democrat but Representatives of their respective communities from across our great state who joined together to represent all of Ohio.

I was honored to take my place among that group to represent our 15th Statehouse District (which includes Parma, Old Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, and Cuyahoga Heights). In all, there are ninety-nine districts comprised of approximately 120,000 Ohio residents in each District. 

The Statehouse itself is beautiful place and I strongly encourage everyone to visit the Statehouse to meet their Representative, sit in a session of the Ohio House (which is open to the public), and tour the Statehouse grounds.  After all, the Ohio Statehouse is the “People’s House.”

If you are particularly interested in history, the Ohio Statehouse is a treat. The Statehouse itself has a great deal of history and there are free tours available to guide you through the building and museum located beneath the Statehouse. There are tours Monday-Friday each hour from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. On the weekend, tours are from noon to 3:00 p.m. Here are some interesting facts we recently learned about the Statehouse:

• The Statehouse was constructed over several years starting in 1839 —much of it by prisoners due to their inexpensive labor. Construction ended just before the start of the Civil War.
• Abraham Lincoln addressed Ohio House members as the United States’ president elect in 1861 and later laid in state in the Statehouse Rotunda after his assassination in 1865.
• In the late 1980’s, the State renovated and restored the original character of the Statehouse building, which had degraded over many years. The Statehouse currently appears much as it did when first constructed.
• There is artwork throughout the Statehouse and its grounds commemorating Ohioans contribution to the history of the state and the country, including an Ohio veterans memorial outside the Statehouse.

I consider it a tremendous honor to not only get the opportunity to represent our District but to have the opportunity to walk such storied halls. I hope to see you in Columbus if you can visit, but if you cannot travel to Columbus, please feel free to contact the office if there is anything I can do to be of service to you (and yes I will continue to live in Parma!)  You can reach my office at 614-466-3485 or email me at Rep15@ohiohouse.gov. Follow me on Twitter here:  @jeffacrossman and facebooke here: facebook.com/crossmanforohio