‘A labor of love’: Local nonprofit brings history to life in South Park – Mansfield News Journal

New blacksmith and woodworking shop dedicated

A small group of volunteers of the Richland Early American Center for History were lauded for their contributions in honoring local history and keeping it alive for generations to come Thursday from the porchof a log cabin in South Park.

State Rep. Marilyn John, R-Shelby, presented a commendation to those individuals for the new blacksmith and woodworking shop, also known as Hawk's Nest Forge & Cooperage,during adedication ceremony. They also were lauded for an1800s log cabin named The Petersburg Cabin, and volunteers' efforts finishing the existingBlockhouse already standingin the city park.

Members of the board of trustees of the Richland Early American Center for History were on hand with community leaders for the dedication ceremony.

The 1800slog cabin was moved from Mifflin to the park.

TheBlockhouse, originally located in Mansfield's public square, was one of 11 built in the Mansfield area during the War of 1812 as a refuge from Native American attacks, and is the last surviving local structure from that era.

Sunda Peters, a founding memberof the REACH historical nonprofit group, said the Blockhouse needed a friend in the form of the two new buildings.

REACH member Kevin Wappner thanked downtown developer John Fernyak and his family for their donations of blacksmith tools and more. A long list of people, organizations, businesses, private donorsand morewere thanked for their contributions.

"Their donations (the Fernyaks) actually speared us on in this blacksmith shop," Wappner said. "We appreciate that. Sometimes getting off to a start is the hardest part."

Peters, who also is active in the OhioGenealogical Society on Ohio 97 in Bellville, also was lauded for loaning the local REACH historical group her own money to keep the historical projects at South Park moving forward.

Wappner said Thursday a donor came forward offering to match any donation REACH raises in the next few months up to $25,000.

"We're really excited about that," Wappner said. "We're not done yet.... We thank everybody for all their money."

Wappner, who said he was not speaking as a member of REACH but as a resident of Richland County, thanked Peters, chairman of REACH, for her dedication, financial contributions and more as he unveiled a plaque in her honor.

"I don't know if everyone remembers but in 2009the Blockhouse was sitting unfinished," he said.

"It sat for almost a year and people wondered what was going to happen to it and this lady (Sundra Peters) came forward said, 'I'll raise some funds. I'll find volunteers and we'll get that Blockhouse done.'

"Within a year the roof was on, the second floor was inand logs were filled in between," Wappner said. "It took us another year or so and we were ready to open to the public," Wappner said.

He said when the cabin became available in Mifflin, she again stepped up and said she would start the nonprofit.

"I'll chair it. I'll loan you the money to go get (disassemble) that log cabin and I tell you what, when things looked pretty desperate, if it wasn't for the factthat we owed Sunda, some of us might just have said, hey this is too big a projectfor us... But we weren't going to let her down because she believed in us," Wappner said. "I am so proud she served all those years and made this historic area come to fruition."

REACH member Tom Pappas thanked everyone who donated money and time to the effort from private benefactors, Local 688 International Brotherhoodof Electrical Workers, to banks, skilled tradesexperts like the stone mason who built the fireplace and chimney in the log cabin, to the shake shingle roofer,to members of the Richland County Jail inmate work crew supervised by Keith Witsky who provided labor and the crew/volunteers of REACH.

Peters said, "It has just been a labor of love for these people. We hope the city of Mansfield, the county of Richland and the state of Ohio's members, citizens will enjoy this for many, many years to come."

Local bass baritoneDalton Derr of Mansfield even performed, "The Impossible Dream," comparing the likes of Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers to people like Pappas who all have in common big dreams.

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Mansfield Mayor Tim Theaker also thanked Pappas for hisvision and the group's efforts which he feelsimproved this area and South Park.

Theaker said at one time there was just the Blockhouse and soon there will be a village.

"He said he's got another one (building) that he's ready to go to," Theaker said, to which Pappas said, "We're hoping. We need some younger help though. We're all getting too old to do this anymore."

lwhitmir@gannett.com

419-521-7223

Twitter: @LWhitmir

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'A labor of love': Local nonprofit brings history to life in South Park - Mansfield News Journal