By Paula Pyzik Scott

Gary Wetherill, President of the Swiss Community Historical Society, will speak at the Bluffton Lions Club meeting on Tuesday, March 18. The public is invited to attend the presentation, which will take place at noon at Bluffton Town Hall, 154 N. Main St.

Wetherill will provide an update on construction of the society's Heritage Center and events for the upcoming season at the Schumacher Homestead, 8350 Bixel Rd, Bluffton.

The Heritage Center is repurposing the Bixel-Basinger Swiss Settlement barn previously located on the Dan and Cindy Basinger Farm. The repurposed barn will be heated and air-conditioned and include a large event space, classroom, artifact storage space and public restrooms. The facility will allow for longer visits during tours and events, and eliminate weather restrictions for visits.  READ MORE

The Swiss Community Historical Society was officially founded in 1959 while the first Swiss Day was held in the early 1950s. The society honors and preserves the history of the Bluffton-Pandora community. A volunteer board oversees the preservation and renovation of the Schumacher Homestead. Acquisitions include collecting and preserving papers, books, artifacts, and records of historical interest, as well as property related to local Swiss heritage. Objects made and used by local settlers are part of the SCHS collection.

The society develops programming focused on local history, trains docents who give tours of the homestead, and coordinates volunteer support for maintenance and special events.

For more information on the society, visit www.swisshistorical.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/SwissCommunityHistoricalSociety/

The Bluffton Lions Club website is https://www.blufftonlions.org/

Upcoming Lions Club events include

• Stacks and Crafts - May 10, 2025

• Festival of Wheels - June 13, 2025

• Ride to Remember - July 12, 2025