Salt Fork part 2

 While we were at Salt Fork, we visited the Kennedy Stone House.

The Kennedy stone house is in the Salt Fork park.

Benjamin Kennedy at the age of 23 in 1837 purchased an 80 acre tract of land on Sugar Creek and commissioned the building of a stone house. The stone blocks, quarried on the property, were finely crafted and tightly fitted. The house and root cellar nearby cost 8600, a bargain, even in those days!!

Benjamin married Margaret Orr in 1842 and the Stone House was home to several generations of Scots-Irish Kennedy descendants until 1966 when the home and surrounding area were bought by the State of Ohio to facilitate the Salt Fork State Park. Signifying its importance, the House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. In 1 998 the Guernsey County Bicentennial Commission designated the Kennedy Stone House as

their legacy program.

In March of 1999, ten people formed a group  with the goal of restoring the House. The Friends of the Kennedy stone House Salt Fork State Park became a chartered organization n 2002 and obtained 501(c)(3) status, which means contributions to this worthy cause may be tax deductible. The Friends are the core group behind the restoration, and have been joined by many volunteers.

The house has been restored, the summer kitchen built, herb garden planted, well dug, well house and privy built. A road has been cut into the property; landscaping and a Veterans Courtyard.

Via their web site

front of the house

view from the front of the house

the root cellar 

the "sheep" on the hill

(little wooden cut outs painted white)

picture collage of "before"

the side of the house and gift shop

Hope you enjoyed this little post.

It was a beautiful night.