Three generations of the Riley family lived in the Riley House, built by Calvin Riley, the grandson of Captain James Riley. The house itself, a Queen Anne Victorian, has been maintained so that guests can enjoy the charm of its younger years. For example, the entrance, crafted of oak, was meant to be reminiscent of the captain's quarters aboard the Commerce, the merchant ship that Captain Riley commanded.

The American brig Commerce is famous for becoming shipwrecked off the coast of Africa, an ordeal that resulted in the capture and enslavement of Riley and his crew. Upon their release, Riley wrote Sufferings in Africa, a book about the hardships faced by himself and his crew at the hands of their captors. Sufferings in Africa was later recognized by President Abraham Lincoln as being one of the three works that influenced his political ideology, particularly his views on slavery. The other two books were The Pilgrim’s Progress and the Bible.

Following his return, Captain James Riley surveyed northern Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan with his son, James Watson Riley, beginning in 1819. James Watson married Susan Ellis of Alexander, New York, in 1827, and he was appointed Clerk of Courts of Mercer County from 1821-1841. On August 25, 1834, James Watson Riley platted Celina, Ohio, in partnership with Peter Aughenbaugh, Rufus Stearnes, and Robert Linzee. Later, he took charge of the United States Land Office at Lima before being elected to the Ohio Legislature in 1843.

James Watson Riley's son, Calvin E. Riley was president of the Commercial Bank of Celina at the turn of the century, and Calvin's son, James Zura Riley, was a hardware merchant who traveled to the gold fields of Alaska. James Zura's trunk and trophy deer will soon be on display in the Museum. He was also a blacksmith.

The Riley House was built by Calvin E. Riley in 1896. The downstairs woodwork was beautifully crafted by Mersman Brothers. Later, James Zura and his family lived in the house where eventually his daughter, Lena Riley, would pass away in 1974. Lena Riley's cousin, David Riley, a son of Roscoe Riley and great-great-great-grandson of Captain James Riley, made it possible for Mercer County to purchase the Riley House in the spring of 1975. In 1978, the historic Riley House became registered on the National Registry of Historic Places.

The Brig ‘Commerce’ by George Mears, (1826 - 1906). Photo Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London.

Wreck of the Brig Commerce on the Coast of Africa. 1828. An Authentic Narrative of the Loss of the American Brig Commerce, by Captain James Riley, New York, 1818.