Property with unique history has playground, ponds, walking trails
Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
AVOCA – For rent: 200-year-old historic home, sleeps 14. Grounds include a bubbling creek, walking path, Civil War-era cemetery, playground and views overlooking a dam, tree-covered hillside and ponds.
The historic Hamer house, which for years served as the residence of the Avoca Fish Hatchery property manager and was owned by the Indiana Department of Resources, has been refurbished and is available to rent for overnight stays. Reservations can be made via Airbnb; the rent ranges from $300-$400/night.
The house is located in the Avoca Recreation Park just off Ind. 54/58 and a short distance from Ind. 37 north of Bedford.
The Avoca Park and Recreation Board has made improvements to the park and house with funding from grants, including a $125,000 grant Marshall Township received from Regional Opportunity Initiatives a few years ago and $40,000 in quality of place funding from the Lawrence County Redevelopment Commission in 2022.
The interior and exterior of the house were repainted, the shutters were replaced, old carpet was removed and the bedrooms and living areas furnished. Mike Holmes, member of the park board, said a new septic system was installed and new heat pumps. The kitchen has all new appliances, new countertops and a laundry area has a new washer and dryer.
“We did all of this in about three months,” Holmes said.
Most of the changes were cosmetic. Despite being built in 1823, Holmes said the house was in good shape.
When the project began, the house still had its old shag carpeting and a clash of bright paint colors in most of the rooms. The house has been updated with new light fixtures and finishes but retained its character with two original oak mantle fireplaces, hardwood floors and built-in bookcases.
Jan Kirk, Marshall Township trustee, said the house is an ideal spot for large families, groups or those planning an outdoor wedding at the park – two weddings are booked for the summer and a man from Minnesota, who lived in the house as a boy when his father, a biologist, was the property manager, has rented it for a weekend.
With its proximity to Ind. 37 and Monroe County, Kirk said the house would be ideal for guests attending events at Indiana University.
“When Marshall Township approached ROI in 2019 about a Ready Communities grant, we were amazed by their energy, dedication, and passion for what could be possible at Avoca,” said ROI President and CEO Tina Peterson.
“Since awarding the initial $125,000 ROI Ready Communities grant for park renovations and enhancements, volunteers have put in countless hours to accelerate the work and pursued add-on grants from other organizations for additional park amenities. Avoca has become a destination, and seeing so many Uplanders enjoy the park is an incredible success story for Lawrence County and the Indiana Uplands.”
For 90 years, the DNR used it as a fish hatchery, raising fish to stock the state’s waters. The DNR decommissioned the hatchery in 2013 and later transferred the deed to Marshall Township, making it the only public park in the county. To highlight the park’s history for guests, Kirk has filled a binder with old photos and information about the house and the hatchery.
“It’s a very unique property and certainly has an interesting history,,” said Tonya Chastain, executive director of Lawrence County Tourism. “We’re excited to have a new destination for visitors to check out. The township has done a wonderful job getting it put together, strictly with volunteers.”
With the hiking trails and playground, Chastain expects the house will be popular with large groups. Another Airbnb, Goose Creek Chalet, is located nearby, Chastain said, and, between the two properties, could accommodate big families.
Dan Bortner, director of the Indiana DNR, said it was important that the former hatchery stay in the public realm and that its history be preserved.
“Even though the property could no longer function as a modern fish hatchery, that doesn’t mean that it’s without use. And there is so much history there, so being able to transfer that to where it stays in public hands and the people could enjoy it, it couldn’t have gone any better,” Bortner said.
The township continues to apply for grants to make park improvements and is looking to rental revenue from the Hamer house and other buildings on the property and fundraisers to pay for park maintenance.
Kirk said mowing costs have increased because of gas prices.
Kirk and Holmes said the recent completion of the new playground is already attracting groups to the park for birthday parties, open houses and family reunions.
“We’ve had nothing but good comments on it,” Kirk said.
The park has about 30 picnic tables and 24 benches. A local Boy Scout troop is going to re-establish the tree identification markers along the trail. Park board members Holmes, Michelle Hicks, Rick Enochs and Tony Barrett continue to look for ways to enhance and sustain the park.
“You can’t believe the people who come here to walk their dogs and just enjoy the place,” Holmes said. “And that’s what we want.”