HERMITAGE

A $17,000 grant will help spruce up Hermitage's Historical Society and create a hands-on learning center for its residents.

The area to be improved is the Stewart House at 5465 E. State St., Hermitage, which houses the society. The society leases the house and a small portion of the 27 acres surrounding the property from Hermitage, which bought the home and property in 1998 to eventually create a public city park.

The city in June received the money, which came from the state Department of Community and Economic Development and will use the grant to make improvements to an outbuilding, formerly used for storage, by turning it into an educational center. Walkways surrounding the building will also be improved, and will go through gardens planted by the historical society and a Hermitage Parks and Recreation gardening class.

"It's for when we run some recreation programs at the site, particularly ones involving gardening with children," said Gary Hinkson, city manager. "These improvements (to the outbuilding) will be for a classroom/indoor work-space-type of area."

"We see it as a hands-on learning center for the garden," said Rod McAdams, treasurer of the historical society.

The 140-member society, which was created in 1996, began to lease the property from the city soon after the city bought it -- the five-year lease costs the society $1 -- and they have the option to renew it for five more five-year extensions, Hinkson said.

"They're responsible for maintenance, upkeep and utilities," he said. "They didn't have a location or site and the city was not trying to make any money off the society."

According to McAdams, various groups, such as the Hickory Women's Club, a quilting society and local Boy Scout troops, have also used the house and grounds.

"We also have a one-room school house set up on the second floor," McAdams said, adding that they have tours Tuesday and Saturday afternoons. A society picnic, opened to the public, will be at 6 p.m. Aug. 20 on the grounds.

Though the city has never officially named the parcel of land surrounding the Stewart House, it is informally known as Whispering Pines Park, but has had no substantial improvements, since the focus for the city has been on Rodney White Olympic Park, which was purchased prior to the Stewart House area in 1996, and is near Hickory High School.

"We purchased it with the intention of creating a passive park," said Hinkson, describing a passive park as one with no game fields, but one with open areas for recreation activities, trails and ponds.

"The ultimate goal of the city is to identify funding. To make improvements that were identified in the master site plan, it would cost about a million dollars. That doesn't mean the city of Hermitage would do everything the ... plan has called for," he said, adding that there is no time line for the property's development.

But Hinkson and McAdams see the grant as a start in a long-term park development process.

"I think it will enhance the city's opportunity to provide recreation there and it's one smaller step for the historical society's improvement of the property for the general public's use," Hinkson said.

For more information about the Hermitage Historical Society, call (724)-346-0419, or (724) 981-4843.