MANSFIELD – Local history will be celebrated and the public is invited to attend the Aug. 12 dedication of a new Ohio Historical Marker honoring Sarah Daisy Barker Thomas and the Barker family.
The ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. at the corner of First Street and Wood Street in Mansfield.
Historical Marker Dedication
- Wednesday, Aug. 12.
- 4 p.m.
- Corner of 1st Street and Wood Street in Mansfield.
- This event is free and open to the public.
This event is a result of the Richland County Land Reutilization Corporation, in partnership with the Richland County Historical Society, the Mansfield Historic Preservation Commission, and the Ohio History Connection.
The marker commemorates the remarkable legacy of the Barker family, whose contributions to education, music, faith, civic leadership, and civil rights helped shape Mansfield for generations.
The story begins with George W. Barker (1836–1913), who was born enslaved in Virginia, emancipated at age 13, and settled in Mansfield by 1870. A well-known chef in downtown hotels, Barker purchased the corner lot at First and Wood Streets in 1874 and completed the family’s brick home by 1875.
For nearly 150 years, generations of the Barker family lived in the home, which became an important community gathering place and reflected the family’s deep roots in Mansfield.
Born in the home in 1877, Sarah “Daisy” Barker Thomas graduated from Mansfield High School in 1896 and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 1900.
She taught music at Kentucky’s Eckstein Norton Institute before returning to Mansfield, where she became a respected music and piano instructor, giving lessons from the Barker family home.
In 1920, Daisy Barker married Captain Walter S. Thomas, a Spanish-American War veteran who served as a clerk in the Ohio Senate and as a trustee of Wilberforce University.
Together, the couple became respected civic and civil rights leaders. In 1961, Daisy Barker Thomas helped establish the Mansfield Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), further cementing her legacy of leadership and service.
Although the Barker family home was demolished in 2024, the new Ohio Historical Marker ensures that the family’s story, accomplishments, and enduring impact on Mansfield will continue to educate and inspire future generations.
The dedication ceremony will feature speakers representing the institutions and values that shaped Sarah Daisy Barker Thomas’ life, including education, civil rights, faith, and historic preservation.