Parks take part in Historic Preservation Month

Darke County Park District is taking part in the celebration of Historic Preservation Month (May 2014) in partnership with Main Street Greenville. Along with many other activities in the month of May the Park District will have a special open house on Saturday, May 3 at their three historic reproduction buildings, The Anthony Wayne Peace Council House at Prairie Ridge Meadow Park on Wilson Drive in Greenville and the Log House and new Blacksmith Shop Education Centers at Shawnee Prairie Preserve just outside Greenville on St. Rt. 502 W.

From 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. the Anthony Wayne Peace Council House will be open to the public hosted by Native American re-enactors, Dudley and Barbie Hansbarger. Stop in and take a step back in time to the signing of historic peace treaties and negotiations that happened right here in the Greenville area. Pick up information about the upcoming bicentennial commemoration of the signing of the Second Treaty of Greenville, The Peace and Friendship Summit, to be held in conjunction with The Gathering at Garst, July 24-27, 2014. The Park District is proud to maintain the history of the Native American people who have traveled through and lived in Darke County through education programs at the Peace Council House. The Park District will be opening two new educational areas during the Peace and Friendship Summit in July to celebrate the Native American people and their part in the history of our area, the Tecumseh Room at the Shawnee Prairie Preserve Nature Education Center and a Bowery which is a reproduction of the structure under which the Second Treaty of Greenville was signed which will be located in Prairie Ridge Meadow Park.

From 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. the Log House and Blacksmith Shop at Shawnee Prairie Preserve will be open to the public with interpreters in period costume going about the chores and business of everyday pioneer life in the late 1700’s. Blacksmiths will be using hammer and anvil to work on a variety of projects for the upkeep of the log house. Celebrate the hard work and perseverance of the people who carved out our place in this beautiful place we call Darke County.

Take a step back in time with Darke County Parks and the other partners of this Main Street Greenville initiative for Historic Preservation Month; “A New Age of Preservation: Embark. Inspire. Engage.”