Billie Creek Village property going on the auction block

ROCKVILLE -- Historic Billie Creek Village property in Rockville will be offered for auction in a sealed bid process starting Monday, Sept. 10 at 8 a.m.

The Parke County location along U.S. 36 boasts 70 acres, including two covered bridges, 30 buildings from the Civil War era, and a modern party pavilion plus all original antiques, equipment, furnishings and general store inventory.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of Indiana's beloved history," Jeff Doner, principal broker at Indianapolis-based Key Auctioneers, said. "Billie Creek was created to be an authentic, living museum for guests to experience life at the turn of the century. Everything, including the real estate, buildings, antiques, and two covered bridges, will be offered in its entirety in its existing condition."

In an effort to attract more visitors year-round, Parke County bought the land in the mid-1960s and created the village based on a study defining the typical visitor's interests -- the outdoors and rural American history. From there, Parke County began salvaging old buildings from the period and Billie Creek began to take shape.

The village continued growth under the guidance of local businessman Charlie Cooper who is now ready to let someone else continue the development of the village.

The recreational property attracts tens of thousands of tourists each year for various events, including Civil War re-enactments, bike tours and festivals like the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival.

"The property's potential is endless. It has such a vast diversity of historical buildings like the doctor's office, village bank, print shop and Catholic Church," Doner said.

Sealed bids will be accepted from 8 a.m. Sept. 10 until noon Sept. 20. No late bids will be admitted.

If the sealed bid auction does not result in an acceptable bid to the owner, a live liquidation auction will be held during the Covered Bridge Festival in October when everything will be sold separately.