Thursday, August 19, 1999
Pioneer Village seeks helping hand
Some historic structures deteriorating
BY RICHELLE THOMPSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
WAYNESVILLE — Twenty years ago, cars clogged the roads coming to festivals at Pioneer Village. The historic site attracted visitors from throughout the Tristate who were eager to see 19th-century log structures, most moved from other locations and reconstructed on 25 acres in the northeast corner of Warren County.
“When the festivals started, they were easy to do,” said Kevin Hurt, village administrator. “People would show up in old-looking clothes with little advertising and little programming.”
These days, a crowd of Tristate entertainment options means the village is lucky if a festival nets $1,000. That leaves the nonprofit site, which boasts the largest collection of 19th-century structures in Ohio, short of funds.
As a result, the wooden doors to the log cabins are shuttered, save for special events. Some of the structures are rotting because of the lack of money for proper maintenance. Educational programming is held to a minimum because there is only one employee.
Pioneer Village trustees launched an ambitious fund-raising campaign Wednesday to take the 19th-century log-cabin site into the future. Offi cials hope to raise $100,000 by the end of the year to supplement the village's $80,000 annual budget. The village established an executive council, a group of 25 people committed to historic preservation and education. They will serve as key fund-
raisers in the fall campaign.
“Our ambitious goal is to make Pioneer Village a major part of Warren County,” Mr. Hurt said. “We're unique, but nobody knows about us.”
John Keyes, treasurer of the village's board, said the campaign won't transform the village into another Williamsburg, Va., “but it has the same magic and charm.”
The campaign will enable the board to establish some permanent educational programming, he said.
The changes the money could bring would be the most extensive the village has experienced since it was founded in 1973.
Part of the money raised will go to hiring two people, a program director and volunteer coordinator. Two other positions, an office administrator and maintenance manager, may also be created. With a larger staff, the village could open during the week and offer historical tours of the site.
The hope is that transforming Pioneer Village into a daily feature will attract more visitors and encourage repeat trips, said Marc Dragul, president of the Dragul Group, a Cincinnati fund-raising consulting company. The village contracted with Mr. Dragul in January to map out its fund-raising strategy.
“We're not really meeting our purpose,” Mr. Hurt said.
The village is designed to show what life was like for the early Warren County settlers. The oldest structure dates to 1793.
The board has discussed charging an entrance fee, between $3 and $5, that would help the village become more self-sustaining. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns and operates nearby Caesar Creek State Park, recorded nearly 25,000 visitors to Pioneer Village from October 1998 to April 1999.
The additional money also will be earmarked for restoration. The Ohio Historic Preservation Office has suggested demolishing some of the buildings that are deteriorating, so the village can use its limited funds to preserve the remaining structures, Mr. Hurt said. Unless the village gets more money, the trustees may have to consider a selective reduction.
“It will last as it is now for another 25 years if no changes are made,” Mr. Hurt said. “But eventually, one by one, the houses will have to be demolished.”
The village also is negotiating to save three more buildings, including a 1795 cabin from Bedle's Station, the first settlement in Warren County. It just needs the funds, Mr. Hurt said.
The proposal sounds promising to Mark Epstein, head of resource protection and review for the Ohio Historic Preservation Office. Although the village is not a state property, Mr. Epstein has worked with village officials in the past.
“I think anytime old buildings and historical buildings can be made accessible to the public is good,” he said. “That's the whole intention of saving the building. The idea of preservation is not just to create a museum or something nice for people to look at, but also to educate the public about the history.”
Anyone interested in donating to Pioneer Village or participating in the fund-raising campaign should contact Kevin Hurt, (513) 897-1120.
This weekend, the village will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. with frontier life re-enacters. Cost is $5, $2 for children.
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