Historic Barker House access road now open in Newport Township
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NEWPORT -- A ribbon-cutting was held for the Historic Barker House Access Road completion on Friday in Newport Township.
Those attending included U.S. Senator Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks, U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, representatives from the Friends of Joseph Barker Jr. (FJBJ) House, the Ohio Preservation Office, the Washington County Historical Society, the Washington County Commission and Engineer's office, Newport Township Trustees, and other interested parties.
They came to show their support for the milestone. The 19th Century historic Joseph Barker Jr. house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The restoration has been a four-year effort to preserve the historic house.
Jack Haessly, President of the FJBJ, said the Barker family is very significant in the area. He said protecting the house is personal to him, because Joseph Barker, as well as Haessly's mother, father, and son are buried in the newer Barker cemetery.
"It's a proud moment here today to the beginning of this to go to that, and give us another year or two years, it's gonna look good," said Haessly about the restoration of the Barker house.
Marchbanks said ODOT felt it was their responsibility to provide mobility to the site, and weave that mobility in to the present.
"This is history right in front of you," said Marchbanks. "And it goes back 190 years."
He said history is important to a sense of place, to a sense of identity.
"We're not just roadway stewards, we help provide access to things that make the quality of life in Ohio worth being here. And to me this is rich history, that's why it's important to me."
Portman attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. He said he learned of a local group, the Friends of Joseph Barker Jr. House, when he found out the house was going to be torn down.
"I got personally involved and I have a passion for historic preservation," said Portman. "I think it's important that we remember our history."
Portman said the book "Pioneers" by David McCullough was put out around the same time as he found out the house was going to be torn down. He said the book details the importance of Joseph Barker in Ohio's history.
"So I just wanted to be darn sure we were doing everything we could to preserve this house and not have a U.S. government agency, the Corps (of Engineers), tear it down," said Portman. "I want to thank our Department of Transportation for the road because we needed that, but also thank the Corps for working with us to come up with a way to convey this property … to this private group, and now it's on us to restore this beautiful home and allow our kids, and grandkids, and great grandkids to learn about the history of our great state and our great country through this home."
James Dobbs can be reached at jdobbs@newsandsentinel.com