Living History Event

The Blockhouse at South Park in Mansfield, Ohio, is a historic structure that serves as a living history museum and educational site. It's part of a historical village managed by the Richland Early American Center for History (R.E.A.C.H.). What it is now: It's a reconstructed War of 1812 blockhouse, open to the public seasonally and during special events. It's part of a historical village in South Park that also includes an 1808 Petersburg Log Cabin, and blacksmith and woodworking shops. Volunteers operate a community garden that teaches about historical uses of plants and gardening. It's a focal point for reenactments and educational programs related to early American life and the War of 1812. What it used to be: The Blockhouse was originally one of eleven blockhouses built in the Mansfield area during the War of 1812. Their purpose was to provide refuge from Native American attacks. This particular blockhouse was initially located in Mansfield's public square (Central Park). After the war, from 1813 to 1816, it served as Richland County's first courthouse and jail. It was then sold and moved to a Second Street alley, where it was largely forgotten for about 90 years. In 1908, for Mansfield's centennial celebration, it was reassembled and restored and placed in the courthouse yard. After the centennial, it was moved to South Park, where it served for many decades as the home of Boy Scout Troop 6. In 2008, for the city's bicentennial, it was again disassembled, reconditioned, and restored to a higher, dryer ground within South Park, becoming the historical attraction it is today.