[2] In 1849, he moved to Westerville to enroll at Otterbein University,[3] and was later involved in the Underground Railroad with his father Bishop William Hanby.

[7] After graduating in 1858, Hanby briefly taught school before becoming a minister in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ.

[citation needed] By Christmas of 1864, after some time as a minister in a church in New Paris, Ohio, Hanby was operating a singing school in the town.

[5] Here, he composed "Up On The Housetop" as a Christmas sing-along, originally titled "Santa Claus".

Today, the Hanby House is a museum managed by the Westerville Historical Society.