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The Billie Creek Village Farm House
The Village Blacksmith
Billie Creek Village is a recreated, authentic, turn of the
(last) century village, farmstead, living museum and home to three of Parke County’s famous covered bridges. It is located one mile East of Rockville, Indiana on US 36.
It was in 1964 and 1965 that a few Parke County residents began a study to find a way to make the county more interesting the year-round. The Covered Bridge Festival and Maple Fair had offered proof that visitors enjoyed the scenery and friendliness they found in Parke County, Indiana. There was also evidence that these same visitors had tremendous interest in all phases of rural American
history.
The decision was made to buy a tract of land and create a “village” typical of a specific time period
in history. The turn of the
(last) century was the general time period chosen.
Parke County took a firm step back in time
and began salvaging old buildings of the
period and Billie Creek Village began to take shape!
The land
purchased had a meandering creek, an adjacent covered bridge, wooded lands and offered an accessible location. The site itself is of historical
significance, lying between the original Pike’s Peak Highway (later called Ocean to Ocean) and the same route’s newer roadbed named US 36. This location, between new and old, symbolized the very idea of Billie Creek Village.
The plan for
Billie Creek Village was to create a
living-museum…an interactive museum wherein
visitors take part in the activities as
opposed to simply walking through. Making
history come to life! It depicts
ordinary people conducting their day-to-day lives at a time when work was regarded as the mainstay of life.
In 1969 Billie Creek Village opened its doors to the public with less than ten authentic buildings/exhibits. Currently, Billie Creek Village is Indiana’s only authentic recreated, turn-of-the-century village and farmstead with a total of 38 authentic buildings/exhibits.
Billie Creek Village Draft Horses Are A
Favorite
A Young Visitor Learns About Quilting
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