Come one, come all to the Bicentennial edition of Orange County Historical Society’s (OCHS) annual Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social on Sunday, August 28.
The event is traditionally held each year on the last Sunday of August at the historic Lindley House in Paoli. The house is located just off of U.S. 150 West on the Willow Creek Road to Paoli Peaks.
The fun starts at2 p.m. and lasts until 5 p.m. The event is FREE; however donations will be accepted to help preserve and maintain the Lindley House site. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs.
This year’s family event will offer lots sweet, cold ice cream of course, delicious homemade desserts, live music, home tours, special guests, and a variety of heritage activities. A number of area craftsmen, artists, historians and skilled demonstrations have been invited and expected to participate in the event as well.
“We really would like to invite everyone to come out during this Bicentennial year and join us for a fun family event to re-live and share memories of the distant past.” OCHS President Robert F. Henderson said.
An Orange County 200 History Market area is also being planned that afternoon with various groups being invited to display and offer commemorative type items relating to 200 years of Orange County history for purchase.
Enjoy walk through tours of the historic farm house which will be offered on the hour and half-hour through the afternoon. The Thomas Elwood Lindley House was built on land granted in 1812 to Jonathan Lindley when he left North Carolina to settle in Orange County. Jonathan was the grandfather of Thomas Elwood Lindley, an influential Quaker. He served in the State Legislature at Indiana’s first Capitol in Corydon. The property remained in the Lindley Family until it was deeded to the Orange County Historical Society in 1974 by the great-great-grandson, H. Carl Thompson and Dorothy Farlow Thompson.
The house is restored in part to reflect the period 1850-1869 when it was used as a farm
home. It was listed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places in 1985. Included are a corner cupboard, washing machine, spinning wheel, baby crib and pump organ. The front porch step features a large semi-circle millstone from an 1800 gristmill.
The Orange County Historical Society (OCHS) also maintains a Museum of local history in the town of Paoli, on the west side of the Court House Square. It is open Mondays-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May to November. Visitors will find memorabilia of Orange County Communities through the years, and collections of antique clothing, school equipment, early church records, primitive tools and early Court records. The Lindley House site is presently open by appointment only in season.
For more information please visit www.historicorangecounty.org or contactHenderson at 812 653 1212.
