The Underground Railroad Society of Cass County (URSCC) is very pleased to announce that the organization recently completed the purchase of the James E. Bonine House and Carriage House at M-60 and Calvin Center Road, with the intent to preserve and restore both properties for use as education and community centers.The mission of URSCC is “to provide a focal point for exploration into the origins and activities of the Underground Railroad; the unique role the people of Cass County and the surrounding region played throughout its existence; and how it impacted local, state and national history.”
URSCC president and building/grounds committee chair Mike Moroz of Dowagiac said, “Acquiring these properties has been challenging. We thought we had them a year ago, and the deal fell through. We felt this was our last opportunity since the Bonine House is coming to the point of being irreparably damaged due to years of neglect. When the property came back on the market recently, everyone rallied to the cause and we were able to close within two weeks. We have a long road ahead of us, but with everyone’s help we can restore these iconic buildings to the glory they deserve.”
The properties are important for their architectural significance; as the ancestral home of the Bonine Family; and for their intimate connection to Underground Railroad activity in this area.
www.dowagiacnews.com/2011/01/24/urscc-buys-bonine-house/
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