As part of the ongoing observation of National Preservation Month, the Heritage Preservation Society of Putnam County is sponsoring an upcoming event, free and open to the public. On Saturday, May 31, at 10:30am, the conservancy expert John Warner of Indianapolis will speak at the Putnam County Museum.
The preservation consultant’s topic will be his work on the current nomination for the Forest Hills Cemetery to the National Register of Historic Places. The presentation will center on Mr. Warner’s findings about the cemetery and its historic significance. Along with the Victorian crypts and an Art Deco abbey, Forest Hills is home to the towering Civil War Monument which lists the names of all the soldiers from Putnam County who lost their lives to the cause. If the nomination is successful, grant funding may be more accessible to help in restoration of the timeworn soldier’s memorial.
Mr. Warner has an excellent track record, as he was instrumental in the recent placement of three local neighborhoods onto the prestigious National Register: Northwood, Old Greencastle, and the Eastern Enlargement. If all proceeds smoothly with this latest nomination at the state and federal level, the city will have an additional credential as a preservation-minded community.
Previous events hosted earlier this month by the HPS included an Historic Landscaping seminar, also held at the museum. Gregory Pierceall, Professor Emeritus of Purdue University’s landscape architecture department, demonstrated before an attentive audience how period plantings and planning can transform a property into a haven with multiple retreats. He is slated to return in the Fall, to detail his vision for plant design highlighting the site of the Civil War Monument.
Also, genealogist Diana Brumfield showcased her talent for sleuthing and building connections at her how-to symposium at the Putnam County Library on May 14. The capacity crowd learned the various methods she used to discover about the family that built the John Ireland House.
The Ireland House, a beautifully ornate example of Italianate architecture constructed in 1887, was recently the object of a painstaking restoration by DePauw University. The University has graciously allowed HPS use of the property for a fund-raising house tour that will benefit the restoration effort for the Civil War Monument. The public open house will take place on June 14, 11:00am – 6:00pm. Tickets will be $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 years and under. That afternoon there will also be a free public presentation at Forest Hills Cemetery, where noted authority Ken Anderson will elaborate on the significance of the soldier’s memorial.
In conjunction with the Ireland House tour, Anderson Street will be closed between Bloomington and Locust Streets to allow for an antique car show to line up on the block from 11:00am – 3:00pm. Registration for the car show will be at 9:00-11:00am and cost $10. Prizes will be awarded.