“More than just a building”

Memorial Park Shelter House renovated, rededicated

The Shelter House at Henry County Memorial Park was rededicated Saturday.

The celebration commemorated about 10 months of major restoration, which payed homage to the building’s rich history and original design elements. The Shelter House is 102 years old. Built in 1922, Indiana Senator and former Governor Samuel Ralston dedicated the Shelter House in 1923 in memorial of all wars.

Memorial Park received $225,000 of Henry County’s Food and Beverage Tax money specifically for the Shelter House renovation. The Food and Beverage Tax advisory committee recommended project, and local elected officials agreed.

A separate Shelter House Committee oversaw the various projects involved with the restoration. Shelter House Committee members included Memorial Park Board member Terrill McCall, along with Jim Ward, Jerry Cash and Ed Tarantino.

Saturday’s rededication ceremony included 1950s and ’60s music provided by Duke Blevins. DJ Shumaker sang the National Anthem. Guest speakers included McCall, Henry County Council President Kenon Gray, former Indiana State Representative and current Lewisville Town Council member Tom Saunders, Henry County Economic Development President and CEO Corey Murphy and Henry County Commissioner Steve Dellinger.

The rebirth of a ‘gleaming jewel’

“Today, we celebrate the re-birth of this historic shelter,” Gray said, commending the food and beverage committee for their foresight to recommend the Shelter House project. “To see the progress made is really spectacular.”

Gray, and many other speakers, spoke of Henry County’s enviable quality of life, which includes the amenities available at Memorial Park. Gray said many memories have been made within the Shelter House’s walls and the restoration will allow fresh memories to be made for generations to come.

“As a community, you can be proud of the progress…being forged ahead here,” Gray said.

Shelter House Committee member Ward said renovation efforts began in December 2023. He thanked the many people, businesses, community organizations and local government entities that supported the project.

Ward spoke of those who worked in the rain and cold, whether it was clearing sight lines or cleaning sewer lines.

“This project has been challenging, frustrating and rewarding,” Ward said, noting that at the end of the day, it was truly a team effort. “Hopefully, we’ve done due justice out here for the next generation…”

Ward thanked the local Amish community for their significant contributions to the project. For instance, Whitewater Supply LLC from Hagerstown donated $25,000 of copper roofing materials. They also donated labor and built and donated a water fountain.

Ward commended fellow committee member Jerry Cash for his efforts with the project.

“Jerry Cash, to me, he is priceless when it comes to this community,” Ward said. “We need more people like him…He’s the person I look up to…”

Ward said Mark Sean Orr, of Citizens to Preserve Henry County Memorial Park, spent hundreds of hours researching historical details pertaining to the Shelter House. Those details were replicated in various aspects of the project in order to return the building to its original 1922 grandeur.

“Over the years, the Shelter House has become more than a mere building,” Orr wrote in the rededication ceremony program. “It has become the living, breathing heart of the park. Its charming wrap-around veranda offers a sweeping view of the large playground on its east side, a space that has seen countless weddings, exuberant parties, family reunions and more. The wooden beams of the Shelter House have supported the joyous shouts of children playing, and its expansive hall has hosted record hops where rock bands from the 1950s and 1960s brought the energy of that era to life.”

Orr described the Shelter House as the “gleaming jewel” of Memorial Park, “a place where every corner holds a story, and every gathering becomes a cherished memory.”

“The Shelter House is more than just a building,” Orr wrote. “It is a testament to the enduring spirit of Henry County, a place where the past and present converge, and where every visitor can feel a deep, resonant connection to the rich tapestry of the community’s history.”

Food and beverage funds

During his speech, Saunders thanked previous county leaders who had the foresight to build Henry County Memorial Park, and those subsequently involved in its maintenance, preservation and beautification. Saunders also recalled the process involved when Henry County began to implement its food and beverage tax in 1987, and the various projects those funds have supported over the last several decades.

“We have to thank those [county] council members at the time…who took the effort and the criticism, to increase your taxes, “ Saunders said. “It’s a tax to benefit all the people in Henry County.”

Saunders also thanked the food and beverage committee members who decided to allocate some of those tax dollars to the Shelter House project.

“Without the people who work behind the scenes, this would have never happened,” he said, thanking the park board who put the various committees together to get the job done.

Like Orr, Saunders called the Shelter House a “jewel.”

“This is the jewel for our county,” he said. “People are moving to our county from across the nation…They like our lifestyle, they like our quality of life…and that’s what we’ve all been working towards to increase our population – to offer them the things that their families and they want…I want to commend you all for this endeavor and establishing this for another 100 years.”

Murphy said it can be uncomfortable to defend a tax. However, since 1990, Henry County’s food and beverage tax has created more than $20 million dollars of investment for the local community.

“Henry County is improving as a great place to live, work, learn and play, one penny at a time,” Murphy said.

Murphy said the food and beverage tax fell to the Henry County Commissioners to manage after it was adopted by the Henry County Council. Every few years, a volunteer group of citizens review project applications and made recommendations to local elected officials on how to spend the funds.

Murphy served on the most recent food and beverage advisory committee.

“Projects must be sponsored by a unit of local government or a not-for-profit,” Murphy said. “Projects must be tied to tourism and/or economic development. Rewarded projects have tremendous support from the grassroots.”

Murphy said legislators, from time to time, consider taking the food and beverage tax away.

“You can drive all across this county and see examples of our community boxing above its weight class,” Murphy said. “There are tremendous quality of life assets, because, in part, of the food and beverage tax…It leverages other investment. It leverages donations. It leverages time, talent and treasure.”

Murphy congratulated the volunteers, donors and county leadership who invested in the Shelter House for future generations.

“This park, and this space, is for residents and visitors alike,” he said. “There are countless stories throughout the history of this county that demonstrate the generosity and tenacity of people like you, to build community and promote high quality of life. The founding of this park is one of those stories. The renovation of the big Shelter House, where we are today, adds to that story. It’s another chapter. The park and this space are part of the fabric of this community. It is part of the fabric of our lives. It offers what’s known as a third place, neither your home or your work, but a place to gather and experience the joy of human connection.”

McCall pointed out that the Shelter House renovation project encompassed all areas of the building.

“As you walk around, upstairs, downstairs, there’s hardly a piece of this shelter house that has not been touched,” he said. “It’s absolutely amazing.”

Commissioner Dellinger’s remarks concluded the ceremony.

“As your commissioner, it’s moments like this when you realize the decisions that you made, you get to see projects come to fruition,” he said, appreciating the fact that future generations can now enjoy the Shelter House. “It wouldn’t have happened without the help of countless individuals…”

Peace dollars

Two uncirculated peace dollar coins, minted in 1922, were given away as part of the rededication celebration.

New Castle resident Dave Ellison was the winner of the in-person drawing. The second coin was given away via a social media contest hosted by Orr. To enter, participants had to answer the question, “What’s your favorite memory of the large Shelter House in Henry County Memorial Park?”

Lisa Neal’s response generated the most likes, making her the winner of the second coin.

“My favorite memory of Memorial Park Shelter was when I was a little girl, my Grandma Hill used to have the best Halloween parties out there,” Neal said. “We would all dress up and play games. We always took a hayride through the park and walked through the cabins pretending like they were haunted houses.”

Henry County Memorial Park rentals for the 2025 calendar year, including the Shelter House, will open to the public on Nov. 1.

For more information, or to obtain rental pricing, call the park office at 765-529-1004. The park is located at 260 W. County Road 100 N., New Castle.

– Story by Katie Clontz (klontz@TheCourierTimes.com) of The Courier-Times. Read more local stories at TheCourierTimes.com.