The OES visited Meggenhofen Winery Tunnel on September 5, 2001. Located atop a hill in Chillicothe, the Mountain House, along with the tunnels were built in the early 1850s by Louis Meggenhofen, a German immigrant who fled his country during the Persecution Act of 1846. The family operated a winery there for many years, tending a large vineyard below the house. The tunnels were built so the wine could be kept in a cool environment to age. By 1919, the Ohio wine business was not doing very well and the property was sold to Dard Hunter, who was known world-wide for his printing techniques. The tunnels lay vacant and many collapsed or were filled in. Access to the tunnels can be found throughout the hillside where the vineyard and winery once operated. When we visited, we searched the hillside for about 20 minutes before finding a hole in the ground. Upon entering the tunnel, we discovered this particular tunnel did not extend very far…and some pretty large spiders found the tunnel to be a perfect home. We snapped the photos below, originally hosted on the now-defunct Urban Underground website.
Location Information: Abandoned
The Meggenhofen Winery Tunnel is located near Highland Avenue in Chillicothe; Ross County.
Photographs
