Friends is at it again. Ten years after finishing the Folger Stable restoration project, volunteers are again attempting to preserve another slice of local history that is on the brink of collapse.

The stone Dairy House at Wunderlich is a charming structure built in 1874 by farmer Simon Jones. Constructed near cooling spring waters and made of thick masonry walls with a gabled roof and central ventilating cupola, the structure kept goods fresh in an era before refrigeration.

Restoration will be expensive but saving the structure for future generations will be priceless. There aren’t many of these historic landmarks from this era left in the United States. We envision a future when field trip students, park visitors, and history buffs will be able to peek through the doorway and see hanging ham hocks, milk jugs, and bushels of vegetables and be transported to another era. Preservation efforts are difficult and must be galvanized requiring mobilization, time, and resources. Friends is grateful to Gonsalves & Stronk who generously donated expensive carpentry expertise and materials to prevent winter storms from further deteriorating the unstable building. Help us save one of our local historic places.

Download the Dairy House Flyer →

Fun Fact: The 7-Eleven convenience store chain originated as ice houses (AKA dairy houses) in Texas in the 1930s. They were first known as Tote'm stores.