A Trip to the Stone House Museum at Salt Fork State Park in Southeast Ohio

Ohio is full of history. There are many places around the state to discover fun facts, and there are opportunities in every county to learn something new.

Recently, my family took a trip to Salt Fork State Park in Southeast Ohio. Salt Fork is one of the largest state parks in Ohio, spanning over 20,000 acres of land and water. The park has recreational opportunities to suit every taste. After picking up a few informational brochures at the park office, we discovered that the park had a Stone House Museum.

Travel down a gravel road to visit the Stone House Museum and learn about the history of the land that is now known as Salt Fork State Park. When you arrive, you will be greeted with the sights of a quaint stone house and a beautiful view of the lake. That lake didn't always exist; the land there was once a grazing field. Walk up the brick path and you will be greeted by two lovely, smiling ladies who are ready to share the history of this beloved house and park.

In 1837, at the age of 23, Benjamin Kennedy purchased 80 acres of land and commissioned Irish masons to build a stone house and a root cellar. The workers had such fine craftsmanship that you would be hard pressed to find a mason who could replicate it today. In 1842, Benjamin married Margaret Orr and they bred and raised merino sheep. Generations of their family continued to live and maintain the house until 1966, when the government purchased the house and land.

The house sat for years until a local beloved lady gathered up a group of people to help restore the house. Many people came together to achieve this goal. The result of their hard work can be seen today.

This was easily my favorite part of Salt Fork State Park. The Docents were friendly, knowledgeable, and took pride in their work. We spent an hour and a half looking at the artifacts and chatting with the ladies. It was such a neat experience and I recommend visiting if you get the chance.

Stone House Museum is open Friday - Monday from 1p-5p, May - October. Admission is free. Donations are welcome.

Salt Fork State Park hosts an Annual Wildflower Walk to Stone House Museum, led by a naturalist, on the last Saturday in April at 2p.

For more information about Stone House please visit http://www.kennedystonehouse.org

For more information about Salt Fork State Park please visit http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/saltfork