News Developments

Sheridan Work Session Focuses On Feasibility For Heritage Structures
Posted: April 10, 2007

SHERIDAN, IND.—Five panelists will listen to representatives and public presenters to gather ideas in a one-day design charette work session on Tues., May 15. They will be investigating opportunities for a series of new features adjacent to the Boxley Cabin: a George Boxley visitor center, a new Sheridan Historical Society museum facility and a multi-purpose hall. All could be new features in Sheridan Veteran’s Park.

The work to produce a feasibility study for the “heritage destination” complex is part of Sheridan’s grant received from the Hamilton County Convention and Visitors Bureau (HCCVB), the Hamilton County Destination Fund, announced in January 2007.

Parvin Gillim, Main Architects, will facilitate the exercise and prepare the final report that studies the scope and impact of the project, general economic assessment in the community and recommendations for fund development as well as content for each feature, space uses, and tourism potential.

Serving on the panel are: John Harris, Heritage Photo Services; Brenda Myers, Hamilton County Convention and Visitors Bureau (HCCVB), executive director; Jeff Burt, executive director, Hamilton County Alliance; Glory-June Greiff, public historian; and David Heighway, president, Hamilton County Historical Society.

The charette, an intense brainstorming session, is an efficient urban planning exercise—a design and planning tool to host a forum to gather ideas and information that will help compose a feasibility study. The study is a grant project that is part of a $48,000 Hamilton County Destination Fund 2007 grant award to examine how Sheridan can become a heritage tourism destination.

According to Brenda Bush, Sheridan Historical Society member and organizer/grant manager for the planning charette, “As we move further into restoration of the 1828 George Boxley log cabin, a national landmark in Veteran’s Park, we will soon have the restored structure in place but not the story.

“Many Indiana landmarks of such stature are accompanied by freestanding facilities that are specifically designed to interpret compelling stories that earned Boxley status on the National Register of Historic Places,” she added. “We need to look for ways to animate Boxley’s abolitionist history in Virginia, to explore his wilderness experience in Adams Township in Hamilton County, and to provide the visitor public and educators with details. Boxley’s story is national and his easier life in Spotsylvania County was sacrificed when plans for a slave rebellion were sabotaged.”

Bush said that the Boxley Cabin was accepted for listing on the National Register in September 2005. “Having an interpretative center to tell the Boxley story and a new Sheridan Historical Society museum and its expanding collections will create a critical mass in terms of tourism. The museum, which possesses a quality collection of pioneer-era artifacts, needs a flexible structure to accommodate movement of larger, on-loan exhibits that rotate in and out of expositions. Other needs include continued easy access for the senior population that is part of the Historical Society’s membership. It will be important to provide for volunteers and visitors in a secured environment. As well, increased visitation in the park creates more security for the entire cabin area. It is a unique opportunity for Sheridan to cultivate tourism and telling that story pays dividends.”

The multi-purpose facility has been a concept for Sheridan Veteran’s Park that can provide indoor space for dinners, meetings, conferences and other events as well as offer facilities for park visitors. In the continuum, such a facility would offer the opportunity for expanded park programming.

The first segment of public testimony during the charette will consist of input from invited representatives who will provide two-minute talks to share insights about the prospective structures and activities envisioned for the three components.

Citizens who wish to make one-minute presentations can sign up at the event for a limited amount of time slots and are asked to prepare written ideas and testimony to submit to the charette panel. Citizens should sign up before the charette on May 15 in order to process input by calling the Sheridan Historical Society, (317) 758-5054 or Brenda Bush, (317) 758-5845.

Preliminary research to identify other comparable, small-scale enterprises that built-out the heritage tourism experience is ongoing. The Sheridan opportunity, however, may serve as a prototype due to the presence of a pioneer landmark. Work in now underway to view attractions in the region that have used public-private partnerships, developed new features or repackaged experiences.

“The charette is a first step to examine new assets for Sheridan and retain local character as the community grows,” commented Bush. “Certainly, there are other communities that have developed clusters of amenities, but Sheridan’s small scale project is a little more rare,” viewed Bush.

Members of the design committee for the museum visited the Lew Wallace Study and Museum in Crawfordsville in March and will be reviewing some theater styles designed for the Ruth Lilly Health Education Center in Indianapolis. And Bush added, “The Sheridan Historical Society recently joined the American Association of State and Local History (AASLH), a national organization that provides a forum and an emphasis on the operation and development of smaller, local history museums. They have connected us with new resources for information collection.”

Serving on the Boxley Interpretative Center and Sheridan Historical Society Museum Design Committees are: Edgar Spear, Jim Pickett, Donna Pickett, Ron Stone, Connie Pearson and Wilma Bush.

The Design Committee for the multi-purpose hall is Connie Pearson, Randy Parsons, John Snethen and Tom Cain.

The charette forum is open to the public for the morning session beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 12 p.m. The panel and respective design committee members will work privately with Gillim and Christine Dowdeswell, development adviser, in the afternoon and present their findings to the public between 3:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.