Preserving Our Heritage

The historic home of John and Amelia Park is more than 180 years old! The beloved American Greek Revival Home has seen more than 180 summer seasons, over 130,000 sunrises and sunsets, 360 spectacular migrations, and so much more!

The John R. Park Homestead has been welcoming visitors as a museum and conservation area since 1978. This unique 19 acre property on the shore of Lake Erie is used extensively to provide experiential, curriculum-connected outdoor education programs for students; it attracts tourists to our area and it preserves and interprets the history of our region for nearly 20,000 visitors annually.

But, these nearly 200 year-old buildings require extensive restoration work to ensure that they will be maintained for decades to come. While the connection to Lake Erie is one of the most extraordinary experiences available at the Homestead, it also exposes the historic building to its wicked storms, leading to deterioration of these precious pieces of our shared history.

Read the Case For Support

The Homestead needs your help now to ensure it is preserved for the future.

Generations of visitors love the John R. Park Homestead. How many family photos have been taken in front of the iconic horse barn? How many shoulders have the maple syrup yokes sat upon? How many children have watched with amazement as the blacksmith shaped iron over the red-hot fire? How many families have sat on the porch overlooking Lake Erie, just like the Park family did nearly two centuries ago?

We need your help to protect and preserve these invaluable resources, and ensure the next generations have these same memory-making opportunities.

The Park Family’s Homestead

The historic home is the most precious original artifact in the Homestead’s collection, and the centerpiece of the site’s education programming. The eleven outbuildings that comprise the Park family’s homestead are all part of the story of life in the 1850s and help bring the experience to life.

Built on the shores of Lake Erie and vulnerable to its wicked storms and relentless weather events, these buildings require skillful repair and detailed repainting in a manner consistent with their historical significance.  The buildings require renewal and restoration in a number of areas, including significant foundation work, structural repairs, replacement and repair of windows and doors and the historic porch.

Most alarming is the fragile state of the roof rafters, which have been severely damaged by a historic powder-post beetle infestation. These beams must be urgently replaced. To do so, the roof will need to be jacked up, and significant drywall restoration undertaken. 

Your Help is Urgently Needed

A comprehensive architectural review has been undertaken, and we know in detail all the work required to ensure the Homestead can be protected and preserved. More than $1.5 million of work is required to the buildings that comprise of the John R. Park Homestead Conservation Area.