Billie Creek Village

Billie Creek Village was a 70-acre open-air living history museum and park, filled with 38 historical buildings and structures, and hundreds of antiques and artifacts. It is located at 39°45′41″N 87°12′07″W / 39.7614298°N 87.2019582°W / 39.7614298; -87.2019582 near Rockville, Adams Township, Parke County, Indiana in the area known as the "Covered Bridge Capital of the World" for the county's 31 covered bridges. It was formed in 1964/1965 by residents of Parke County, and opened its doors in 1969.[1] The group Parke County, Inc. helped to form it, and a separate group, Billie Creek Village, Inc, was formed for operating it.[2] The village took its name from nearby Williams Creek.[3]

The buildings are from the turn of the century and range from an 1830s Log Cabin to the 1913 Schoolhouse.[4]

The Billie Creek Inn sits across the road, and as of 2012, is separate from Billie Creek Village.

Covered bridges at Billie Creek Village

The three covered bridges are on the National Register of Historic Places

Burr Arch design built in 1906

Burr Arch design built in 1895

Burr Arch design built in 1899

Historical buildings at Billie Creek Village

  • Beeson-DePlanty Cabin - built in 1830s
  • Billie Creek Village General Store
  • Billie Creek Village Bank - former pre-1900 post office
  • Blacksmith shop
  • Burr Mill
  • Chautaqua Pavilion
  • Covered Bridge Courier Office - print shop -
  • Dr. Rice's Office - built mid-1800s
  • Farmstead with log barn
  • Gaebler Building - built pre-1904
  • Governor Wright home
  • Machinery Shed
  • Maple Syrup Camp
  • Refreshment Stand - built 1911
  • Schoolhouse
  • Sorghum Mill and Cider Shack
  • St. Joseph's Catholic Church - built 1886
  • Union Baptist Church

Events at Billie Creek

[5]

  • School Days In May
  • Parke County Covered Bridge Bike Tour - May
  • Parke County Covered Bridge Festival - October
  • Civil War Days - July
  • Ice Cream Social - 4 July
  • Steam Harvest Days - sponsored by The Antique Power Association - September

Demise and Reopening

Billie Creek Village had funding issues more than once, and for several years. In 2012, the site was offered for auction with a bid in the range of $800,000 - $1.5 million. The next step was to divide the site into multiple parcels and listings to sell it piece-meal.[6]

In the summer of 2014, Billie Creek Village reopened with a Grand Reopening occurring on August 10, 2014.[7] This revival did not last and it was again closed.

Operational Management was purchased by Gregg Larson in April 2022.[8] It is under this new management that Billie Creek is yet again open to the public for events and daily exploration through the village.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Billie Creek Village ~ Rockville, IN". Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  2. ^ "Historic village for sale". Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  3. ^ Baker, Ronald L. (October 1995). From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier Place Names in Folklore and History. Indiana University Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-253-32866-3. ...named for a local stream, Billy Creek, a variant of Williams Creek.
  4. ^ "Billie Creek Village ~ Rockville, IN". Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  5. ^ "Billie Creek Village ~ Rockville, IN". Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  6. ^ Auction couldn't save Rockville's Billie Creek Villageindystar.com September 21, 2012 Archived August 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Billie Creek Village Facebook [user-generated source][better source needed]
  8. ^ Craig, Terry. "Historic Billie Creek Village could make a return to glory". 100.7 MIX-FM | Today's Hit Music | Terre Haute, IN. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  9. ^ "Events – Billie Creek Village". Retrieved June 28, 2023.