West Chester Township and Architectural Reclamation, Inc. are working to preserve The Cabin in The Clearing at Keehner Park, 7211 Barret Road.
The Board of Trustees approved $65,000.00 last year for preservation efforts in 2023, our community's bicentennial anniversary year. The cabin is being stabilized and clapboard siding added in a historically accurate manner as recommended by the National Park Service. Gutters and downspouts are added to protect the cabin from further water damage, and the front porch and ramp replaced for improved access.
The Cabin in The Clearing was a labor of love in the community in the early 1990s and is used today for educational programming. It's constructed from two salvaged cabins – one from Preble County and one from West Chester – that were located and reconstructed with the assistance of local construction trades and donations from Lakota School children.
The cabin at Keehner Park opened to the community on November 7, 1993 and was dedicated in memory of Mary "Miss Mary" Raffel after her passing December 27, 2008. Miss Mary was a devoted naturalist and educator who worked for West Chester Parks & Recreation for two decades. She led the initial efforts to save the 1830s log cabin in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
West Chester, Ohio was established in 1823. More at www.WestCheserOH.org/200.