------------------------------------- NEWS RELEASE and CALENDAR ENTRY For further information contact: Donna Herring, dmherring@earthlink.net, 740-924-0516 Karen Holt, karenholt@compuserve.com, 740-924-9355 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (February 10, 2007): HISTORIC “CAPTAIN SCOTT” HOUSE FINDS HOME The grand Victorian Italianate home at the corner of state routes 161 and 37, known as the “Captain Scott” house, has been the subject of community interest and fundraising for several months, as the deadline for removing it from the path of the 161-widening project approaches. Now a landowner has stepped forward to offer a new location for the home, nearby on the outskirts of the village of Alexandria. Brookside Materials/Kurtz Brothers of Columbus purchased the old Brookside Dairy property last year on the west end of Alexandria, for a sand and gravel quarry operation to begin this spring. When approached by the Alexandria Community Council for help with the Captain Scott house relocation, Tom Kurtz said, “We felt that if there was any way we could help the community without compromising our operations we would certainly do that. We also wanted to look at whether there was any way that helping the community might turn into a win-win situation in which everyone was happier with the outcome than they would have been without our participation.” “There are still lots of details to work out,” said Donna Herring, Secretary of the Alexandria Community Council and chair of the “Friends of Captain Scott” Committee, “all kinds of things to consider. So it’s not yet a done deal, but if everyone is flexible I think we’ll get there quickly. Certainly Brookside Materials/Kurtz Brothers has been very supportive and creative about how they can help in this project.” The “Friends of Captain Scott” is a committee of the Alexandria Community Council, a non-profit local group that has supported various community events and services for 75 years. The house in question was built for Captain Joseph M. Scott, an outspoken abolitionist and prominent local farmer and historian, just after the Civil War. ODOT has given the house to the Village of Alexandria if the structure can be moved by March 16th, and subject to certain other conditions relating to health and safety. The Village has no funds for a historic preservation project, and the Community Council has stepped in to get the project organized and funded. “The inside of the home is essentially original, it’s basically never been remodeled,” said Herring. “The upstairs could be used as a museum and the downstairs as a community center, furnished in part with museum pieces, at least that’s the present vision. The community center might include services like light lunches for seniors, meeting space for scouts, wedding reception venues, that sort of thing.” “I’ve had a number of people tell me that when we had a place for that house to land, we’d get many more donations. Which is good, because now that we have Brookside Materials/Kurtz Brothers on board, we need to collect about $80,000 in the next five weeks to get the house moved,” said Herring. “People can send cash donations to the Alexandria Community Council now to support the relocation, and we are also accepting pledge letters for the restoration work that lies ahead of us once the house is out of harm’s way,” said Herring. “A pledge letter might say something like ‘I’ll donate X dollars in May if you are able to save the house.’ We could use those letters as evidence of community support, to help in requesting matching dollars from foundations and larger benefactors.” And if the Alexandria Community Council cannot raise enough money to move the house by the deadline? “I don’t like to think about that, but cash donated to that date would be used for other historic preservation efforts in the Village and Township,” said Herring. “Instead of that negative thinking, let’s just decide that if Brookside Materials/Kurtz Brothers can make space for this house, we can get the house over there, and let’s get it done.” The next meeting of the Friends of Captain Scott Committee will be held Thursday, February 22, 7:00 p.m. at the Alexandria United Methodist Church (at the intersection of Church and Maple streets, behind the Alexandria Public Library). Everyone interested in saving the “Captain Scott House” (on the corner of state routes 37 and 161) from demolition should attend. Send your tax-deductible donations to the Alexandria Community Council, Friends of Captain Scott Committee, P.O. Box 234, Alexandria OH 43001. For further information, contact Donna Herring, Secretary of the Alexandria Community Council (740-405-4594), or email CaptainScott@AlexandriaOH.org. CALENDAR ENTRY 22 February, 7:00pm, Friends of Captain Scott Committee, at Alexandria United Methodist Church (intersection of Church and Maple streets, behind Library). Everyone interested in saving the “Captain Scott House” (on the corner of state routes 37 and 161) from demolition should attend. 740-405-4594, or CaptainScott@AlexandriaOH.org ------end----- -------------------------------- dmherring@earthlink.net Donna M Herring PO Box 100 Alexandria OH 43001 USA --------------------------------