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    Van Wert County Armed Forces Album

    5.0 (1 review)

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    Peace Monument - Decatur, Indiana's Peace Monument

    Peace Monument

    5.0(1 review)
    18.0 mi

    While the current health pandemic has certainly impacted my social life and ability to try out a…read moreton of new businesses, it's also served to help me work on some projects that have needed my attention. I've had my vision set on establishing a memorial here in Indiana for quite some time, though I'm still exploring locations, acquiring land, and design options. As a result, I've been researching and exploring Indiana's monuments, old and new, and in the process learning about Indiana history. If you know me, you know that I'm a bit of a peacenik. I do a lot of work in the area of non-violence and am pretty much drawn to anything that promotes peace. I was unaware of Decatur, Indiana's Peace Monument until I began doing some research regarding Indiana's memorials. Located at the Adams County Courthouse, the Peace Monument was dedicated on October 30, 1913 and is a cenotaph made of Indiana limestone and metal. As a fun fact, the limestone came from the same quarry as downtown Indy's Soldier's and Sailors Monument. The front of the monument is an allegory for peace represented by a woman. As another fun fact, the model for Peace was a Chicago resident named Margaret McMasters Van Slyke, who'd once been called "the best and most perfectly formed woman." The cenotaph used to house a fountain, though the fountain is no longer in place. There's a metal tablet installed on the cenotaph. As yet another fun fact, the metal came from the USS Maine. There are two urns in front of the cenotaph designed for plantings. In 2014, Boy Scout Troop 70 and Elks Lodge 993 embarked on a project to develop a directory of the names listed on the Veterans Wall of Honor. While the cenotaph is a general war memorial, it emphasizes the importance of peace and the role of women. The memorial was designed to specifically memorialize the Civil War, Spanish-American War, Mexican-American War, and the Revolutionary War. There's a small plaza directly adjacent to the memorial with a tastefully created picnic table that allows you to simply sit there and really take it all in. It's quite beautiful and the memorial has had some renovation and updating done over the past few years. Owned by Adams County Commissioners, the Peace Monument was sculpted by Charles Mulligan and carved by Charles Dodd. This is definitely worth a visit and with Berne, Indiana nearby it's a terrific day trip.

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    Peace Monument

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    Official Randolph County Infirmary/Asylum

    Official Randolph County Infirmary/Asylum

    5.0(2 reviews)
    54.4 mi

    I had the good fortune of visiting The Asylum early in its current manifestation as a key…read moredestination spot for those seeking paranormal investigations and opportunities to visit a location said to be Randolph County's most haunted spot. As I arrived at my 666th review here on Yelp, I began contemplating what I could possibly review that would be worthy of such an occasion. Having a dark sense of humor, I began contemplating both my past and present journeys through Indy's more haunted spots and locations with a history of evil and, in most cases, either found them not appropriate for Yelp or inappropriate review. While I briefly contemplated either a review of an Indiana Satanic church (Yes, we have them!) or a visit up to Hell, Michigan, I settled on a revisit to this location that turned the old Randolph County Infirmary/Asylum into one of Winchester, Indiana's few touristy spots. If you know me, then you know that while I do review most businesses for accessibility I'm also a pretty adaptable wheelchair user who regularly does long-distance events and who joined Yelp down in the incredibly not wheelchair friendly Catacombs. In other words, I tend to go where I want whenever possible even if it's not wheelchair friendly. The Asylum is not actually wheelchair friendly, though it's better than you might expect. If you have mobility issues, you might want to contact them in advance or ensure you have a companion with you for assistance. As a building built in 1899, it is exempt from ADA laws. In its early days, the nearly 50,000 square foot building housed six wards, several private rooms, a kitchen, laundry facilities, and separate dining rooms for men and women. It also had several other features on the adjacent property including a cemetery 230 yards northwest of the "home." Over the years, the facility served different populations including the poor, orphans, physically and cognitively disabled, single mothers, and the elderly. In 1994, the facility was bought from the county and turned into the Country Care Center. Around 2008-2009, Country Care Center closed and the facility was used for county storage until current owners came along in 2016 with the stated intention of using the facility as a paranormal attraction. I mean, seriously, do you know a single old asylum that isn't haunted? The treatment in these facilities was typically quite lacking - even in this type of setting, which certainly wasn't a Central State type place but still had its share of tragedy. The current owners have done a nice job of creating a functional setting for paranormal investigations, several videos from which are located on The Asylum website. The website features a wealth of information about the history of the facility along with current information about visits for investigations - this allows for overnight visits. While it's certainly not inexpensive, this is frequently done in groups and that certainly helps defray the costs. The Asylum, to my understanding, is still currently under a contract which means that actual production companies cannot be accommodated. The facility also does not have heat at this time, though they are working on this issue and that may change in the future. I should note that they do occasionally have special events that may include productions - look under the events tab of their website for more info. They even had a Christmas event this past holiday season. I really respect what they're doing here and the fact they've been respectful to the cemetery within the area. There's also said to be unmarked graves. While The Asylum is being utilized for paranormal, the team behind all of this truly is respectful of historical buildings and that makes it all a little more special to me. I've been through Winchester, Indiana a couple times on fundraising events and, indeed, all of Randolph County is pretty sparse in terms of tourist options. However, you have the Randolph Inn where you can stay and enjoy yourself in a small, friendly county and this pretty remarkable setting where you never quite know what you'll encounter!

    Had the pleasure of meeting both Dann and Ted during our visit. They were both some of the nicest…read morepeople I've ever met and had a fantastic time talking with them both. Both are very genuine and knowledgeable with a good sense of humor (especially Ted). The building is very active and becomes very alive at night, lots of moments that make you stop in your tracks. Thank you Ted and Dann for letting us spend the night and everyone please go support saving the old properties (Stop).

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    Official Randolph County Infirmary/Asylum
    Official Randolph County Infirmary/Asylum
    Official Randolph County Infirmary/Asylum

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    Van Wert County Armed Forces Album - museums - Updated June 2026

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