Letter: Historic properties could be impacted by Mid-States Corridor
Did you know that there are five properties (one is a bridge) that are eligible for listing in the National Registry of Historic Places (NRHP) within the Dubois County SIU 2 section of the Mid-States Corridor (MSC)?
You won’t find the information in the project documents on the MSC website, though.
Besides the bridge, here are the properties identified in the Historic Property Report as being within the Area of Potential Effects (APE).
- Beebe Log House; 8210 S 200 W, Holland, IN
- Otto and Emma Jochum Sr. Farm; 6516 S 75 W, Ferdinand, IN
- Joe Schroeder Log House; 621 E SR 64, Jasper, IN
- Buchart-Miller Farm; 222 N Trainer Lane, Jasper, IN.
A family member of mine who allowed me to write a letter owns the last property on this list, and I am writing to try to find someone who can help us. If you or someone you know is involved in historic properties, please send them our way. They can email me at mcx623@yahoo.com
There’s a meeting on the historic properties on Thursday, October 23, at 1:00 p.m., which is after the public meeting on Wednesday, October 22, at 5:30 p.m. at the Jasper Middle School.
Wondering why the public wasn’t invited to this meeting on historic properties, also?
According to the project office’s own historic report which you can find by going here https://erms12c.indot.in.gov/Section106Documents/ and typing the Des number 2300291, it states the following: “Above-ground resources located within the project APE were identified and evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended, and the regulations implementing Section 106 (36 CFR Part 800). As a result of the NHPA, as amended, and CFR Part 800, federal agencies are required to take into account the impact of federal undertakings upon historic properties in the area of the undertaking. Historic properties include buildings, structures, sites, objects, and/or districts that are eligible for or listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). As this project is receiving funding from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), it is subject to a Section 106 review.”
The Advisory Council of Historic Preservation (ACHP) states,
“Section 106 gives the ACHP, interested parties, and the public the chance to weigh in on these matters before a final decision is made. This process is an important tool for citizens to lend their voice in protecting and maintaining historic properties in their communities.”https://www.achp.gov/protecting-historic-properties/section-106-process/introduction-section-106
From the letter my family member received in the mail:
“Protecting Historic Properties: A Citizen’s Guide to Section 106 Review available online at https://www.achp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017-01/CitizenGuide.pdf.
“A historian who meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards identified and evaluated above-ground resources within the APE for potential eligibility for the NRHP. As a result of the historic property identification and evaluation efforts five properties including Indiana State Highway Bridge 169-19-1925 B (IHSSI #037-287-20024, HB-1906); Beebe Log House (Lochmueller #22); Otto and Emma Jochum Sr. Farm (IHSSI #037-287-45053); Buchart-Miller Farm (Lochmueller #94); and Joe Schroeder Log House (IHSSI #037-304-20023) are recommended as eligible for listing in the NRHP.”
The letter the property owners and other selected invitees states they have 30 days from the date they got the letter (10/10/25) to provide comments. Since the ACHP says the public should have a chance to weigh in on these matters, I recommend you review the report and send public comments to be entered into the public record for the MSC Tier 2. Reference the Des number and the IHSSI numbers when submitting comments to:
Jason DuPont
Vice President & Environmental & Land Services Sector Lead
Lochmueller Group
6200 Vogel Road
Evansville, IN 47715
JDuPont@lochgroup.com
812-759-4129
You may want to copy, elected local and state officials, also. The public’s input on these matters is critical for historic properties not to be destroyed.
Thank you for caring about the Dubois County community and the history that exists in “our” beautiful area.
Marisa Durcholz
Impacted resident, Jasper (outside city limits)
