Big News! Camp Wyandot is getting bigger!

The 16.3-acre Strawser Homestead, located on Buena Vista Road, contiguous to the Cline Farm Preserve, has been purchased by Camp Wyandot Inc. The site contains a three-bedroom house and four barns, including one that is 52 ft. by 60 ft., a wonderful site for future programming. The site includes woodlands and pastures.
Click the button below to watch a video of this beautiful property:

Why this property is important to us:

Camp Wyandot is surrounded by land legally preserved from development. Even if our neighbors would sell any land to us we would not be allowed to build on the preserved land or expand our camp sites. In addition, our 105-acre camp is under a conservation easement, which was sold to the Metro Park System, with restrictions that limit both use and expansion.

Camp Wyandot has only a one-lane entrance/exit to camp. If the Clear Creek Valley were flooded, or if our one-lane road were obstructed, we would have no vehicular exit from camp.

We have very little storage space for equipment, maintenance tools, and program supplies. The terms of the conservation easement limit our adding facilities. We are forced to store much of our large equipment outside, subject to the weather.

We also need more staff housing during the camp season. We cannot provide housing for a cook and, therefore, must hire only someone who lives nearby, which greatly limits the pool of applicants. On the Strawser property we will build a seasonal cabin, which we will use for staff during the camp season and which will be rented for use at other times.

The Strawser property includes the only vehicular entrance to the 250-acre Cline Farm Preserve. We will be able to monitor who goes into the Cline Farm Preserve, thereby protecting the southern border of camp, and assist Arc of Appalachia, owners of the Preserve, with security.

The homestead has a 1,300-sq-ft house with three bedrooms, two full baths, a new metal roof, and a two-car garage. The owners recently invested $20,000 in remodeling the house, including new flooring and all new appliances, except for the refrigerator, all of which will stay with the house. This house can be used for staff housing or rented for income.

Kris Strawser raised horses so all the barns were built as stalls. The largest, 60 ft. by 52 ft., is not finished on the inside and can be finished to suit our purposes. One barn is ready for rental. We might rent horse stalls with the requirement that the renter participate in a horse education program during camp.

The Cline Farm Preserve was purchased by Arc of Appalachia with a grant from the Clean Ohio Fund. Under that program, camping on the Preserve is prohibited. The Strawser property abuts to the Cline Farm Preserve so we would be able to build a new, exciting campsite for older campers near the beautiful Preserve but on our own land. It is 1.3 miles from the Strawser property to the Buck Cabin, by walking or driving on the gas easement road, which ends at the gas well near the Buck Cabin. There will be a new vehicular access from our property to the gas easement road, allowing us a southern route out of our camp in an emergency.

Who sold the property to us?

The property was owned by Kris and John Strawser. Kris is the daughter of Helen and Jack Cline. She has always lived on the family farm. This 16-acre homestead was carved out of the farm and contains the site of the original farmhouse. Kris and John are moving to Washington State.

What is the price and how are we paying for it?

The cost is $450,000, which is below the appraised value of $488,750 to $550,000. The property is being purchased thanks to legacy donations from Nikki Spretnak, The Eckhart Family Trust, and Sandy Clapp, along with smaller donations. Camp Wyandot Inc. will also be using proceeds from the Employee Retention Credit, a federal Covid program to reward companies who increased employment after 2020.

But we are a little short! We need to raise just $30,000, amazing! Should we raise more than $30,000, the balance will go to building the new cabin on the Strawser property, which will be available to rent outside of the camp season.

Can you help with this Legacy Purchase?

Land prices have soared in Hocking County. Land near Salt Peter, on Buena Vista Road, sold for $3,000 an acre in October 2021. That land was recently sold again, this time for  $12,000 an acre, the appraised value.

There is no doubt that this land is our last chance to expand Camp Wyandot and give future generations more options to expand our programs, to house summer staff, to house year-around staff, to store equipment, to have a southern exit from camp, and to protect the Cline Farm Preserve, where we are partners with Arc of Appalachia and hold a Perpetual Easement. This purchase was eight years in the making and we are almost done! Please make your legacy donation now to help finish the job. All donations of any size are welcomed. You always come through for Camp Wyandot and for the children who will experience the magic of Camp Wyandot for decades to come.

How to donate:

You can donate at our website by credit card by clicking the button below. Camp Wyandot will be charged a fee of 2% to 3% to process your donation.

You can also send a check to: Camp Wyandot, Inc., 4400 N High St., Suite 413, Columbus, Ohio 43214. We pay no fees when you donate by check.

Some of you might want to donate appreciated stock, mutual funds or ETFs. We now have a brokerage account at the Huntington Bank to accept these donations.

We are very grateful to all of you who have helped to make this historic purchase possible.

WoHeLo
Connie Coutellier