The Sutton-Ditz House was erected in 1850 by Thomas Sutton, a young attorney who settled in Clarion County when it was established on 11 March 1839. He was accepted into the Bar Association in 1841 and quickly became a respected and admired attorney in the Clarion area. The two-story rough brick frame structure is located across from the park and the County Courthouse in the center of Clarion Borough.
Sometime between 1841 and 1851, he constructed a small law office on the northeast corner of his property. Mr. Sutton enjoyed his new home for only three years. He contracted typhoid fever and died on 26 March 1853, leaving his wife, son, and daughter. On 29 March of the same year, his young son, Thomas Jr., died of scarlet fever.
Through the years, the house had several owners until 1908, when John A. Ditz, a Clarion Borough hardware store owner, purchased it. After taking possession, residents saw many changes at the former Sutton home. The roof was raised to create a full third floor, finished brick was put in place over the rough brick, leaded glass windows were installed on the first floor, and large two-story porches were added to the front and rear of the home.
The interior was remodeled throughout in 1909 and features original oak, maple, and chestnut woodwork, including carved mantles of the same woods in each room. The Ditz family operated a tourist home in the 1940s and 1950s, and it remained in the family until 1975, when it was sold to the Clarion County Historical Society and established as the Sutton-Ditz House Museum and Library.
In 2001, additional exhibit space was made available when the library and society administrative offices were moved to the nearby Milo Markle Annex. The home retains its late Victorian ambiance and is a fine example of an early Arts and Crafts Movement home.
Exhibits
The Sutton-Ditz House Museum is located at 18 Grant Street in the heart of Clarion Borough, across from Clarion County Memorial Park. It is owned and operated by the Clarion County Historical Society. The museum features:
- a Victorian parlor, library, dining room, kitchen, and bedrooms,
- changing exhibitions using artifacts from the museum collections to illustrate the history of Clarion County,
- an annual Victorian holiday open house, and
- permanent exhibits illustrating the iron, lumber, and glass industries, Purinton pottery, an old-time country store, and Clarion County military.
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