McGuffey House and Museum, Oxford

About McGuffey House and Museum

The William Holmes McGuffey House and Museum in Oxford preserves the home where McGuffey compiled the first edition of the McGuffey Eclectic Reader in 1836. Visitors tour this Federal vernacular brick house, built in 1833, to see exhibits about McGuffey's life, the influential Reader series, Miami University history, and nineteenth-century domestic life in southwest Ohio. The museum displays unique artifacts including the octagonal table where McGuffey designed the Reader and the lectern he used as a professor of Ancient Languages and Literature and University Librarian. The house itself exemplifies regional Federal architecture with its original structure and a west wing added around 1860. An online exhibition explores luxury in the home, examining how McGuffey's residence reflects the architectural elegance, everyday objects, and ornamental items of his era. General admission is free. The museum welcomes groups of any size and offers guided tours, with an educational outreach program available for school groups and a special invitation extended to homeschool families.