Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Loriene Perera / Ohio University, “Chesterhill: An Appalachian Mosaic ”Chesterhill, Ohio, stands as a testament to the rich and diverse roots of Appalachia, challenging the often oversimplified narratives of the region's history. Founded in 1834 by Quaker pioneers as Chesterfield, the village quickly became a haven for freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad, embodying a legacy of courage and inclusivity that resonates today. A wooden partition wall separates what used to be the men's and women's seating areas in the Chesterhill Quaker Meeting House in Chesterhill, Ohio, on Sunday, February 25, 2024.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Loriene Perera / Ohio University, “Chesterhill: An Appalachian Mosaic ”Motorcyclists drive through the Barkhurst Mill covered bridge in Chesterhill, Ohio, Sunday, March 3, 2024. According to the Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the bridge was built in 1872, and is one of the five remaining covered bridges in Morgan county.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Loriene Perera / Ohio University, “Chesterhill: An Appalachian Mosaic ”Vickie Ball-Seiter, who runs equine-assisted coaching studio Journey With Horses, scratches gelding Teddy at her farm in Chesterhill, Ohio, on Monday, February 12, 2024. Ball-Seiter shared that she adopted Teddy from Bella Run Equine, after the non-profit rescued it from slaughter in 2016.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Loriene Perera / Ohio University, “Chesterhill: An Appalachian Mosaic ”Adrienne Grady talks to librarian Cheryl Kirkbride as she multitasks putting a puzzle together for her eldest son Elliot while holding her three-weeks-old son Esmond after the Preschool Story Time activity in Chesterhill, Ohio, on Friday, March 8, 2024. Grady, who is a mother of four children, shared that she homeschools her children.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Loriene Perera / Ohio University, “Chesterhill: An Appalachian Mosaic ”A tractor, car and Amish buggy travel down Marion Street, the main street of the village, in Chesterhill, Ohio, on Saturday, March 23, 2024. The village boasts a small but diverse population, encompassing a spectrum from Old Order Amish to Melungeons (descendants of mixed Black, white, and Native American ancestry).
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Loriene Perera / Ohio University, “Chesterhill: An Appalachian Mosaic ”Light shines through the stained glass windows of Chesterhill Christian Church as people react during a Lenten service held in the Chesterhill Christian Church in Chesterhill, Ohio, Sunday, March 17, 2024. According to Jeanie Voland, an active member of the church, some of the stained glass windows were contributed by notable families that lived in Chesterhill.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Loriene Perera / Ohio University, “Chesterhill: An Appalachian Mosaic ”Deanna Mayle checks out groceries for a customer at Ron's Auto and Convenience Store in Chesterhill, Ohio, on Wednesday, February 20, 2024. The convenience store is the only spot in the village where residents can purchase basic groceries. According to Mayle, the convenience store will serve burgers and pizza along with groceries once they move across the street to their new expanded premises.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Loriene Perera / Ohio University, “Chesterhill: An Appalachian Mosaic ”Multicultural Genealogical Center (MGC) member Linda Nippert points at the screen of a laptop while reviewing one of the logo options for the Chesterhill Trail Town Network (CTTN), during their meeting in Chesterhill, Ohio, on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Members of the CTTN had previously agreed on the slogan "Rooted in the Hills" to accompany their logo. However, CTTN coordinator, Dr Amelia Adams shared that a focus group put together by Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet) preferred the alternative slogan "History In The Hills".
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Loriene Perera / Ohio University, “”A white house and farmland that belongs to members of the Strode family, which Triple Nickel Diner founder Kathy Strode is a part of, is seen in Chesterhill, Ohio, on Friday March 29, 2024. Strode revealed she spent much of her childhood at the white house, which previously belonged to her grandfather.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Loriene Perera / Ohio University, “Chesterhill: An Appalachian Mosaic ”Triple Nickel Diner co-owner Rosie Berardi carries plates of food out to diners during lunchtime in Chesterhill, Ohio, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. According to Berardi, the diner purchases many of their menu staples like meats and eggs from within a seven-mile radius of their location.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Loriene Perera / Ohio University, “Chesterhill: An Appalachian Mosaic ”A cloth covered coffin sits on display at the Stone-Matheny Funeral Home in Chesterhill, Ohio, on Friday March 22, 2024. According to employee Chantelle King, the cloth covered coffin is the funeral home's most economical model for purchase, outside of rental coffins.
Second Place, Feature Picture Story - Loriene Perera / Ohio University, “Chesterhill: An Appalachian Mosaic ”Denise Tate, who is of Melungeon descent, adjusts a strip of ultrasound images of her grandchild as her son Adam and daughter-in-law Jaclyn get ready to have their picture taken during their baby shower at the Chesterhill Church of Christ in Chesterhill, Ohio, on Sunday, April 21, 2024. Tate shared she is excited for the arrival of the couple's first born child.
