 |
Ash Cave Hocking Hills |
 |
Winter in Luddington Perry County |
 |
Ohio River Athens County |
OHCHA Recognizes Inspiring Practices in Adams County
The Adams County Retired Teachers and The Murphin Inn located near West Union in Adams County are recent recipients of Ohio’s Hill Country Heritage Area’s Heritage Awards for their outstanding leadership and contributions toward the protection, preservation and appropriate development of heritage, culture, environment and sense of place in Ohio’s Hill Country. The Adams County Retired Teachers, Inc. was first organized in 1948 and met for two years. Then in 1956, the group reorganized and they have met ever since, focusing their work on improving retirement benefits for their members, sharing information on local and state issues with their membership and the public, and awarding an annual scholarship of $500.00 to one student from Adams County who is pursuing a degree in Education. What has caught the eye of OHCHA is that in the early 2000’s, after spending a couple of years searching for a suitable school, they purchased Page One Room School on Vaughn Ridge and Page School Roads near West Union. The group spent several years expertly restoring the school house, and now they maintain it as a museum for the education of the students and adults of Adams County, hosting students from area schools each year. Just seven families have owned the wooded ridge that is home to the Murphin Inn since a military officer named William Murphin claimed it more than 200 years ago. Sherry and Darryl McKenney gave up catering and sales careers to purchase the Murphin Ridge Inn in 1997. Along with their staff, the McKenney’s maintain 142-acres of rolling woodland and farmland that offer breathtaking vistas of the foothills that surround it. Not only can guests explore hiking trails and discover gorgeous waterfalls and the wonders of the natural world of Adams County, they can also enjoy the luxurious simplicity of the Inn’s accommodations and taste world-class cuisine offered in their historic dining house. The McKenney’s have also worked to preserve the Inn as an important historical site in Adams County in addition to making it a viable economic contributor to their community. Sherry and Darryl offer a wonderful place to stay and eat, while helping to promote the wealth of environmental, cultural and historic treasures Adams County has to offer.