Mansfield's War of 1812 Blockhouse

Mansfield's War of 18 12 Blockhouse. Scouting Heritage. , Mansfield Boy Scout Troop 6 used this blockhouse as its meeting place for a period of fifty-one years from 1929 to 1980., After a fire ravaged much of the lower portion of Mansfield's Blockhouse in 1938, it was the Boy Scouts that spearheaded its restoration. Three-hundred dollars were raised through donations by South Park's neighbors. This was the first time the interior of the lower crib was painted to hide the fire damage., The fence to your left is a Locust split rail fence. This snake rail style is typical of many fences built in the early 1800s. A project done by Eagle Scout, Joseph Besecker, from Mansfield Troop 121, the fence was built in a similar fashion to the way it would have been built by settlers in this area. Locust trees were harvested locally and brought to the site where they were split using wedges and sledges as the settlers would have done. This fence was placed on foundation stones from the Mansfield Blockhouse's 1909 restoration., The path and trail signs surrounding the blockhouse are a second Eagle Project done by a Boy Scout from Mansfield Troop 121, Noah Stampfli. The path, composed of #304 limestone, was made to be wheelchair accessible to ADA standards and the trail signs depict an accurate history of Mansfield's Blockhouse of 18 12 as noted by blockhouse historian Lou Hart., These projects would not have been possible without our donors: Leonard Dolce of Dolce's Tree Service . Dan Jacobs of Custom Blended Soils . Kokosing Construction Company . Mansfield Structural, Mansfield Blockhouse History. Although during the early 1800s, blockhouses much like this one were a common form of protection in case of Native American uprising, Mansfield's Blockhouse is the last standing with its original timbers. In 1812 eleven blockhouses were built throughout the Mansfield area., This blockhouse, the last remaining of the eleven, was first located in Mansfield's Central Park. The Blockhouse of 18 12 was built by Col. Charles Williams and company from Coshocton, Ohio with the help of local settlers., Being temporary structures, the blockhouses, intended solely for use in the War of 18 12, were demolished once they had outlived their purpose. Mansfield's Blockhouse of 18 12, however, has a longer history. As the War of 18 12 came to a close, Mansfield found itself in need of a courthouse and jail. Rather than building a new structure, the settlers decided to use the existing blockhouse that was then located at Central Park. In 1813, this blockhouse was renovated by Luther Coe. The lower crib of the blockhouse became Mansfield's first jail, while the upper crib became Mansfield's first courthouse., It was used in this capacity for three years before being sold to James Curren. Now protected from the fate of demolition predestined for the other blockhouses, Mansfield's Blockhouse of 18 12 lasted another ninety years before being reacquired by the City of Mansfield in 1906., Mansfield Blockhouse Timeline. 1812 , built in Central park for protection against Native American attack in the War of 18 12 , 1813 , renovated for $48 by Luther Coe to house Mansfield’s first courthouse and jail , 1816 , sold at auction to James Curren for $56.40 and moved to lot 168 Virgin Alley off of 2nd Street , 1906 , bought by the City of Mansfield for $225 to be reconstructed for Mansfield’s Centennial in 1908 and rebuilt on South Courthouse lawn , 1909 , (February 19) sledded in two parts to South Park after an ice storm and used as storage for the City of Mansfield for 20 years
1938 , much of the lower crib interior was burnt by a fire and was then restored by the Boy Scouts who raised $300 in donations for the restoration , 1963 , stabilization began with replacement of several of the lower crib’s rotting logs and rebuilding of the foundation , 1979 , the foundation was stabilized for a second time , 1983 , major repairs were made and remodeling was done for Mansfield’s 175th Anniversary , 2007 , total restoration was completed for Mansfield’s Bicentennial; the structure was dismantled, assessed, historically restored and moved 80 feet East to its current location and 5th home