Preston Park focus of 3MJC meeting
BUTLER TWP — “You are going to come back.”
Those are the words Tony Stagno told attendees before he even gave his tour Wednesday night of Preston Park.
In 90 minutes, he took guests from the entrance at 415 S. Eberhart Road through a small sampling of the 88 acres offered in the park ending with Frank and Jane Preston’s house.
“That’s the value of Preston Park — not what is in (the house) but what’s out here,” said Stagno, executive director of the nonprofit Friends of Preston Park.
Preston Park’s amenities include walking trails, fishing ponds, wildlife and numerous unique plants.
The park was given to Butler Township by the Preston estate by memorandum in 2010. It was the site of the Preston’s laboratory, owned by Frank and Jane Preston since the 1930s. In December 2012, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as Preston Laboratories.
The Moraine, McConnells Mill and Jennings Commission chose to have its monthly meeting on Wednesday at Preston Park, where Stagno was their tour guide.
Zane Barger, president of 3MJC, said he welcomes guests to attend the commission meetings, which take place on the third Wednesday of each month, because they always have an educational element, and people can learn about the parks and nature spaces close to them.
“We encourage people to come, even if they are not members,” Barger said. “Our whole purpose is spreading awareness of the parks and the environment.”
During the tour, Stagno explained some of the landmarks and points of interest.
The first bit of information he gave regarded some structures in the park, such as the welcome sign and the pavilion, which were commissioned by Butler Township, but worked on by Eagle Scouts, students of the Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School or other volunteers.
“A lot came through grant money or donations,” Stagno said. “The township tries not to spend money foolishly.”
Stagno also pointed out the “geography lesson” located near the Preston house, which was originally built by Frank Preston but refurbished by an Eagle Scout a few years ago. The project laid 3,000 bricks creating a compass in the ground and features signs around the circumference showing the direction of cities, and how far away they are.
“This geometry lesson was designed by Frank Preston while getting hemorrhoid treatment ... to teach geometry,” Stagno said. “If you only have five minutes in Preston Park, say, ‘We’ve got to go to the compass.’”
Stagno led the group through the Preston house, which, he said, is “slowly dying” but still has some heirlooms important to Frank and Jane inside, including a library, laboratory and Jane’s wooden bathtub in the basement. The building is closed to the public, except for when an official from Butler Township or Friends of Preston Park gives tours.
While most of the 10 people attending the tour were affiliated with 3MJC, Barger encouraged people to learn more about the organization, especially if they like the outdoors.
“All meetings usually start with park updates, then I’ll give a 3MJC update,” he said. “We collect donations, and all the money goes straight back to the parks.”
For more information on 3MJC, visit its website at 3mjc.org.
