$5,000 matching funds offer targets monument restoration

Friday, August 17, 2012

As the Heritage Preservation Society (HPS) of Putnam County concludes preparations for the Civil War Soldiers' Monument fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 18, timely news has been received.

Putnam County Community Foundation Director Elaine Peck has informed HPS of an offer of $5,000 in matching funds available for the purpose of reaching the goal to assess and stabilize the county's rare monument at Forest Hill Cemetery.

With community support of donations and ticket purchases for Saturday's tour of the Zaring House and Doctor's Office, HPS has the potential to raise the funds needed to receive the full amount of this newly offered gift.

Achieving the match and receiving the full $5,000 amount of the offer would help to ensure the ability to meet the cost of assessing and stabilizing the monument before the onset of winter. With that in mind, HPS encourages gifts be sent to HPS at P.O. Box 163, Greencastle, IN 46135. All donations are tax-deductible.

HPS also heartily invites participation at Saturday's event through purchase of tickets for the tour, refreshments at the ice cream social and trips to Forest Hill Cemetery to learn more about the monument.

This event has been planned to have zero overhead so that all proceeds will go into the monument fund. Many in the community have been called on for participation and have been enthusiastically donating supplies and time.

The Zaring House, located at the corner of Poplar and Vine streets, will be open for touring from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Poplar Street will be closed in front of the home on Saturday with parking along the south side of Poplar Street, west of Vine Street, prohibited for the day.

Kim and Tim Shinn have offered the home tour to assist in restoring Putnam County's special monument.

An ice cream social will be going on in the area, made possible through the assistance of the Dairy Castle, Putnam County Extension Homemakers, Culligan Water of Greencastle, McDonald's, Long John Silver's and Delta Theta Tau chapters in Greencastle and Roachdale. Parking is available on the street and in area parking lots. Visitors are asked to refrain from using the library parking lot during its open hours.

The monument sits prominently atop a hill in Forest Hill. At noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m., members of the Civil War Roundtable will be present at the monument to relate the history of the monument, detail the repairs that are needed and to share the story of a much smaller town in Ohio and its somewhat similar monument.

Mayor Sue Murray will be present to speak at the onset of the event.

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