Charles Niswander and Phillip Kingsley presented ideas for a proposed Bluffton Heritage Center to an over-flow audience of 75 persons at Friday's Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce breakfast.

Click here for a form to provide an opportunity to indicate your interest in this project.

A downtown possibility for the center is The Black Lab building, Niswander told the audience. If that were to occur, the projects would not in any way affect Jeanne's Kitchen, located on the Vine Street portion of the building. The restaurant will remain in its present location.

Now that that project has been explained, the group proposing the Center would like to hear from the public.

Niswander explained that the Center not only will preserve and instill interest in local history. It will serve as a tourist attraction to downtown.

"The Swiss Community Historical Society board provided seed money to explore the idea," Phillip Kingsley, Society president, told chamber members. "An ad hoc group completed several studies. The group is ready to share its findings. Now we want see how much community interest exists for such an undertaking."

Kingsley said that the Heritage Center focus will be on the entire Bluffton community, and would be distinct from the more rural, Swiss Settlement emphasis of the Swiss Community Historical Society, although he would see a strong complementary and cooperative relationship between the two.

"The Center's purpose is to inspire people to learn from the history of our entire community," he said. "It will be an institution that acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits historical objects for purposes of study, education and enjoyment."

A committee of three persons, Kingsley, Charles Niswander of Pandora, and Ron Lora are working on the project under Niswander's leadership. As the project takes off, that committee will expand.

The Heritage Center will include areas of emphasis such as Bluffton's education, industry, arts and crafts, religious life, significant events and its people.

In addition it will serve as a location to house Bluffton collections and memorabilia.The committee wants to hear from people interested in assisting with the project including those who have ideas about financing it, those who might have historical objects to donate, and those who are willing to serve on an advisory council or working group.

Although the Heritage Center will evolve into a distinctly separate organization from the Swiss Community Historical Society, it will initially use the Society's 501 (c) 3 status to accept tax-deductible financial donations.

A mission statement for the Bluffton Heritage Center Project follows: "The Bluffton Heritage Center maintains its facilities for the acquisition, preservation and exhibition of area history.

Organization, structure, governance and financing of the Center are among areas still in discussion stages. It is hoped that there will be community input to this discussion at the April 8 presentation and thereafter.

Persons interested in specific information may contact any of the three committee members: Phillip Kingsley at [email protected], Charles Niswander at [email protected], or Ron Lora at [email protected].