Indiana historic site with canal boat, grist mill needs $7.6M in repairs
METAMORA, Ind. ( WISH ) — A canal boat drawn by horses in Metamora stopped operating for two years ago due to restrictions for the coronavirus pandemic.
A third year out of commission appears likely. Last week, the boat was taken out of the water for inspection and repairs at the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site.
On Wednesday, the Ben Franklin III sat in a parking lot. The boat was broken in three places.
Cat Campbell is a longtime resident of Franklin County’s Metamora Township, which has about 975 residents. It’s about a 75-minute drive from downtown Indianapolis.
Campbell summed up her concerns about the the future of the historic site to I-Team 8: “It is something that is unique to Metamora, and it is part of our history. It is not a gimmick. It is what we were built on, and to take that out is almost cutting our heart out in a lot of way.”
On a rainy April 11, a giant crane lifted the Ben Franklin III from the canal so the 33-year-old boat could get its first inspection in three years. Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites operates the canal site, which also includes a grist mill. State museum operators say the boat gained 14,000 in water weight through cracks in the fiberglass hull.
Steve Collier is another longtime resident of Metamora Township. He is a staunch advocate for the history of the area. Collier accompanied I-Team 8 to see the boat in the parking lot. The boat was not in great shape: cracks in the fiberglass, peeling paint, warped boards, moss growing in places it shouldn’t. In the week since the boat was taken out of the water, the bow has almost separated from the boat.
Collier says the condition of the boat is just the tip of the issues at Whitewater Canal State Historic Site. He says when Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites took over the Metamora site a couple years ago, the trouble started.
“We think they are trying … I think they are headed toward dumping Metamora,” Collier said.
A letter from the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites to I-Team 8 estimated the cost of repairs for the Metamora site at $7.6 million. That includes $1 million to repair or replace the boat, $4 million to fix the canal aqueduct, $1.4 million to fix a canal lock, and $1.2 million to replace the waterwheel and make additional repairs around the mill.
Eric Todd of Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites says it’s looking for ways to fund the repairs. “We are looking at funding options right now. We have had conversations with potential funders. The first step was to have a conversation with an engineering firm that had expertise in historic preservation to do a comprehensive study on what work needed to be done.”
A team of horses pulls the Ben Franklin III down the canal and back. The horses are kept in a pasture close by the canal.
Last summer, 3,800 people took a ride on the boat; that’s down from 5,200 the summer before. Both counts happened during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, the fees to ride the boat do not cover expenses.
Metamora is a tourist area, but most of the shops were closed earlier this week. The tourist season will start when the weather improves in May.
Collier and his wife have been busy in their shop building items to sell when the tourist site draws more attention.
Campbell, one of the neighbors of the Colliers, is worried the best days along the canal may be over. “But as far as the things we have to offer and the historic things that are going on in this town, the canal boat is probably the most important thing because that is what the town was built on.”