COLUMBUS, OH - The Friends of Kennedy Stone House were recognized yesterday by Ohio State Parks with its highest award for the group's partnership with Salt Fork State Park, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
The friends group worked closely with the park and local community to renovate the historic Kennedy Stone House, which is located within Salt Fork State Park. The Ohio State Parks Chief's Award was presented to Pauli Cornish, president of the friends group, by Dan West, chief of Ohio State Parks.
"This award symbolizes our great appreciation of the Friends of the Kennedy Stone House and the local community for their strong support, in dollars and in-kind services," West said. "Their efforts have made this historic house a great attraction for visitors to both the community and the park. The history of the area and how our predecessors lived is now available for visitors of all ages to see."
The farmhouse, made of large sandstone blocks, dates from the 1840s and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Work on restoring the home began in the mid 1990s. Park staff built a new roof and installed flooring using donated materials. The Friends of the Kennedy Stone House formed in 1999 as a nonprofit group and began raising funds and accepting in-kind donations for further restoration of the house. Working together, the friends group and park staff further improved the home and its surroundings, including building an access road. The house was dedicated and opened for public visitation in May 2003.
The Chief's Award was created in 1998 to recognize outstanding and creative examples of community or local partnerships with an Ohio State Park. This is the sixth Chief's Award to be presented. Salt Fork in Guernsey County is the largest state park in Ohio with more than 17,200 land acres and almost 3,000 acres of water. It features a resort lodge, 54 family cottages, a 212-site campground, golf course, and other amenities.
The Kennedy Stone House is open to the public for tours from 1 to 5 p.m. Friday-Monday. For more information contact Pauli Cornish at 740-489-5608 or the Salt Fork park office at 740-439-3521. To reach the Kenney Stone House, enter the park's main entrance off of U.S. Route 22, take the first paved road after passing the resort lodge, then turn right on the first gravel road. Signs indicate the way.