RENSSELAER — For small, all-volunteer organizations dedicated to preserving local heritage, maintaining aging historic structures can quickly become an overwhelming challenge. When the Jasper County Historical Society (JCHS) recently faced mounting hurdles in funding upkeep for the county’s pioneer village, the group found a path forward through community collaboration facilitated by Indiana Landmarks.
Founded in 1966, the all-volunteer JCHS works to preserve the history of Jasper County’s people and places. Headquartered in an 1884 former church in Rensselaer, the society engages the public through regular programming and by maintaining the Jasper County Pioneer Village.
Located at the Jasper County Fairgrounds, the Pioneer Village features a collection of historic buildings relocated to the site over the decades. These include an 1857 log cabin, the project’s first structure, donated in 1967, as well as the 1877 Rosebud School, the 1940 Parr Post Office, and a 1930s outhouse built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). While the village successfully illustrates nearly a century of county history and architecture, the accumulating maintenance costs placed a heavy financial burden on the small non-profit.
Unsure how to secure the village’s long-term future, JCHS board member Stephanie Johnson reached out to Blake Swihart, director of Indiana Landmarks’ Northwest Field Office, for assistance.
Since 2023, Swihart has convened monthly meetings at Rensselaer’s Carnegie Center, bringing together non-profit groups from Jasper, Newton, and White counties to discuss historic preservation, share ideas, and troubleshoot common challenges. When Johnson brought the JCHS dilemma to the table, she received valuable feedback and worked closely with Swihart to explore how Indiana Landmarks navigates similar preservation hurdles.
A Promising Path Forward
Armed with hard data on maintenance costs and guidance from Indiana Landmarks, Johnson took the case directly to the Jasper County commissioners in the summer of 2026.
Persuaded by the society’s more than 50 years of dedicated stewardship and thorough preparation, the commissioners agreed to consider a maintenance stipend for the Pioneer Village. If approved, the funding will help assess deferred maintenance and enable JCHS to hire qualified contractors for essential repairs, safeguarding a vital piece of the county’s history.
A final decision is expected within the next six months. With continued advocacy from Indiana Landmarks and the unwavering commitment of the JCHS, supporters remain hopeful that the preservation proposal will be accepted.
