Epworth Park Foundation Receives 2025 Mattox Award

The Belmont County Tourism Council celebrated a year of remarkable accomplishments at its Annual Christmas Party on Monday evening, highlighting major tourism milestones and presenting the 2025 Mattox Award to the Epworth Park Foundation.

The event, held at Belmont Hills Country Club, welcomed tourism partners, local officials, board members, volunteers, and community leaders to reflect on 2025 successes and celebrate the contributions of this year’s “Tourism Champion of the Year.”

Established in 2019, the Belmont County Tourism Council’s Mattox Award honors the late Dr. John S. Mattox, co-founder of the Underground Railroad Museum and one of the Ohio Valley’s most respected historians. The award recognizes individuals or organizations who have made significant, long-term contributions to tourism and economic development in Belmont County.

“2025 was truly one of our brightest years yet,” said Jackee Pugh, Executive Director of the Belmont County Tourism Council. “From major preservation victories to long-term revitalization projects, we saw incredible momentum across Belmont County. I am so proud of what we achieved together.”

One of the most significant achievements of the year was Epworth Park being officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. This designation recognizes the park’s unique architectural heritage, cultural history, and its long-standing ties to the Chautauqua movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Founded in 1870 and home to 59 historic cottages, Epworth Park stands as one of the last intact Chautauqua communities in Ohio. Its successful nomination to the National Register was the result of years of dedicated work by the Epworth Park Cottage Owners Association and the Epworth Park Foundation.

“The Epworth Park Foundation has demonstrated extraordinary vision, passion, and commitment to preserving one of Belmont County’s most cherished historic places,” Pugh said. “Their dedication to stewardship, education, and tourism development truly makes them our ‘Tourism Champion of the Year.’”

Past Mattox Award recipients include the Great Western Schoolhouse, the Belmont County Historical Society, the Great Stone Viaduct Historical Education Society, the Ohio National Road Association, and the Imperial Glass Collectors’ Society.

As the event concluded, Pugh expressed optimism for the year ahead. “2026 marks America’s 250th birthday and Belmont County’s 225th,” she said. “We have so much to look forward to, and I am excited for the continued progress and partnerships that make Belmont County such a special place to visit.”

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