Wartinger Park is a designated historical park owned by the City of Beavercreek.
Location: 3080 Kemp Rd., 1/4 mile east of North Fairfield Rd. [Click here for a map]
History
In 1975, Mr. Charles Lofino developed a subdivision on the northeast corner of Kemp and North Fairfield Roads. At that time, as now, Beavercreek building code stipulated that a builder must set aside “green space” for a park when laying out a development. Approximately five acres of this land was set aside for a park. At this time, this particular space was undeveloped and unnamed and only one small structure was located here – the original Jarusiewic Log Cabin – which had been relocated to this area and designated for use by the Flower Trail Garden Club of Beavercreek. Later, the southwest corner was designated for a new fire station, which left about 4.3 acres for the park itself.
Wartinger Park is named in remembrance of John Wartinger (1949-1975)
John Wartinger was the oldest son of Ken and Marie Wartinger of Beavercreek. John had worked for the Greene County Parks and Recreation Department during his college years and later at the Greene County YMCA located in Xenia. He had also worked as Safety Director for the City of Kettering and had developed the Safety Patrol Program for the Kettering School System. John refereed 5 grade basketball and was a teacher at Prasse Elementary School, so he had dedicated most of his young life to the development of children before he suffered a fatal heart attack in 1975. At the request of the Greene County Commissioners, Wartinger Park was named and dedicated as “John H. Wartinger Park” on December 6, 1975. In 1976 The Flower Trail Garden assumed care of the park as a bicentennial project. The deed for the property was turned over to the city of Beavercreek in 1983. Wartinger Park then became under the jurisdiction of the Beavercreek Parks, Recreation and Culture Department of the City of Beavercreek.
Historical Structures at Wartinger Park
(Click on Pictures to Enlarge)
Philip Harshman House (circa 1803-1807) The Philip Harshman house was discovered in 1985 when a wood-sided two-story house, which was originally located just south of St. Luke Catholic Church on North Fairfield Road, was condemned and slated for demolition. When the wood siding was removed, the original log house was revealed. An effort was quickly begun by a group of local citizens, that later became the Beavercreek Historical Society, to save the historic structure for restoration. The stone pathways to the Harshman House kitchen garden as well as those leading to the Ankeney House are limestone rocks which were saved from the foundation of the old Lantz Barn on Kemp Road. |
George Jarusiewic Cabin, Replica (circa 1805) The Jarusiewic Cabin was discovered in April 1972 on North Fairfield Road. In 1972, Beavercreek resident George Jarusiewic owned the property, and his restaurant was named Scotties. George Jarusiewic wanted to preserve the old house for Beavercreek. The house was dismantled, meticulously, and rebuilt at Wartinger Park by George Jarusiewic. In the spring of 1997, the 16 by 24-foot structure was removed from the park by the Beavercreek Parks, Rec. and Culture Dept because of insect infestation. Only the fireplace was salvaged. Brady Kress, Executive Director of Dayton History made the replica, authentic to the period. Ten tons of stone made the stone fireplace from a cabin located on Sperling Lane in Beavercreek. |
Samuel Ankeney House (circa 1828) This house was originally located on Ankeney Road on the property owned by Mary and Phil Ankeney. It was donated to the Beavercreek Historical Society by them and rebuilt at Wartinger Park in 1993. Samuel Ankeney, age 19, bought the Ankeney House in 1830 along with 210 acres after his father died in 1830, having just arrived from western Maryland. Samuel built a kitchen for his mother and added it onto the house. He was the oldest of ten children. The cabin was about four years old when Samuel Ankeney bought it from John Davis. The Ankeney House fireplace was rebuilt in 1997 with bricks from the old Beavercreek High School which had burned in 1996. |
John Nicodemus Cabin (circa 1811) It was donated by Max Zink to the Flower Trail Garden Club in 1979 and moved to Wartinger Park. Originally located on the southeast corner of New Germany and Grange Hall Roads on property which was owned by the Zink family. The Zink family had moved there in 1932. For many years, the home was rental property , then it stood empty. Finally, the Board of Health issued a close order. In the process of tearing off the weather stripping, the old log cabin was discovered. Research showed that the cabin was built by John Nicodemus in 1811. The Nicodemus Cabin became the second cabin at Wartinger Park, the first being the Jarusiewic Cabin, both were previously used by The Flower Trail Garden Club now disbanded. Stone removed from the cabin’s original foundation was used around the cabin base. |
Peter Tobias-Zimmer Barn (circa 1858) – Destroyed By The Memorial Day Tornado, rebuilt and reopened in 2022. The 1858 Peter Tobias-Zimmer barn is a one-story salt box design with the white oak frame mortised and pinned. It was built by Peter Tobias in 1858 and subsequently owned by The Zimmer Family. From the plain style of the barn, it is thought that the carpenters were Shakers. It came from the area known as “The Big Woods” in Beavercreek. The original siding was vertical white pine with hand-split walnut lap-sided gable ends. All materials came from the farm except the white pine siding. The Barn was originally located on the property of Bob and Agnes Zimmer who donated the barn to the park in 1996. The barn was used among other things, for threshing. Sheaves of grain (mostly wheat, oats, and barley) were stored in the mow following a short curing time in the shock. During the yearly threshing season, the threshing machine was positioned on the barn floor with the rear barn doors open. Straw was blown on a pile out in the barnyard. After the move, new board and batten siding was added along with a concrete floor. The old metal roof and wood roof shingles were removed and replaced with a new standing seam metal roof. |