If you’re interested in the historic neighborhoods of Columbus, you’ve probably seen or heard of Brenda Dutton. She is a fountain of historical information.
Raised in Appalachia, Brenda credits her passion for history to her teachers who made history come alive. She soaked up history in neighboring states before heading off to college where she concentrated on history while attaining her library science degree. Brenda later became the branch manager of the Franklinton Branch Library. And a library is a perfect place for Brenda. She loves to scout information about the Abbey “residents.” Brenda says the first time she saw the Abbey was in 1989. She was so impressed by her beauty – a stark contrast to her surroundings. Later in 1997, Brenda and fellow Franklinton Historical Society members Bruce & Jan Warner found the Abbey unexpectedly open. It was then that Bruce & Jan took pictures of all the stained-glass windows in the Abbey that are the best documentation we have of how the windows looked before the vandalism took place. These have become invaluable records for their restoration.
Brenda joined the Abbey Board of Trustees in 2012. Having attained her status as a “Franklin Co. Master Gardener Volunteer”, Brenda often organizes teams to work on the gardens. Very analytical, she is great at ferreting out new opportunities for the Abbey in the community. Besides being very active at the Abbey, you will find Brenda dabbling in neighborhood associations, archiving or volunteering at CAPA.
