Wayside Exhibit marks ten years as Scenic Byways gateway
by Wendy Turrell
In 2015, the Heritage Corridors of Bath committee installed the Wayside Exhibit to mark the beginning of the Bath Heritage Corridors Scenic Byway. The corridor connects 14 roads – that feature Bath historic landmarks – to Hale Farm & Village, the Bath Nature Preserve and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
The Wayside Exhibit features easy-to-read displays with information about 19th-century Bath settlements, the Yellow Creek Watershed and a Bath Scenic Byways map. The displays are housed in an open-air pavilion with parking lot at 950 North Cleveland-Massillon Rd.
Bath Township Trustee Elaina Goodrich recalled that when the first comprehensive plan for the township was adopted in 1998, consultants suggested applying for Scenic Byway status. Goodrich said the Heritage Corridors of Bath Committee was formed to apply for the Scenic Byway designation and find federal grants to purchase the property and build the Wayside Exhibit.
“National Scenic Byway” is a designation given by the United States Department of Transportation for a road that encompasses one or more of the qualities of scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archeological or recreational significance. Bath’s Heritage Corridors Scenic Byway meets several of these criteria, and the entire geographic area was part of the original Connecticut Western Reserve territory.
Since the Wayside Exhibit’s installation in 2015, picnic tables and landscaping have been added, but the latest addition will be a display illustrating the newly opened s Barns of Bath Trail, a project spearheaded by Bath resident James McClellan. The new trail features a self-driving tour of nine historic Bath barns along a circular 19-mile route.
Goodrich said a Bath Barns Trail sign is currently being designed to match the style of the existing Wayside Exhibit signs. Bath Community Fund recently awarded the Heritage Corridors of Bath committee a $2,000 grant to cover the costs of the new sign, which Goodrich expects to be ready for installation this fall.
“The benefit to Bath Township is that residents and visitors have access to information about the Heritage Corridors of Bath Scenic Byway,” said Goodrich. “It is a way to emphasize the beauty of Bath and instill a protective attitude of the rural residential lifestyle that we cherish.”
McClellan added, “Not only does the exhibit emphasize the beauty of Bath Township, but the pavilion contains information and wayfinding signs … a great first stop on a visitor’s journey on the trail, and a logical location to place a permanent information wayfinding sign about the trail.”
Kathy Sidaway and Maureen Katanic are the current co-chairs of the Heritage Corridors of Bath committee. Sidaway said that in the coming year, the committee is developing plans to highlight some of the lesser-known aspects of the Heritage Corridors Scenic Byway, like the 19th-century hamlet buildings near Ghent Road. The committee is working on events to encourage people to visit that area, and other less-traveled Heritage Corridor places, this summer.
Sidaway revealed the committee is also approaching community partners to stage a fall celebration of the Heritage Corridors Scenic Byway. As part of the celebration, they are planning events like hayrides, biking tours and a community walk. She expects a date will be set soon.
Sidaway also said the Heritage Corridors committee is working with the Ohio Department of Transportation to update signage along the Scenic Byway. ODOT has specific regulations for statewide uniformity in signage that Sidaway is hopeful can be incorporated into the updated designs the committee has recently approved. Bath’s Heritage Corridors Scenic Byway continues to evolve and include more of the area’s history and unique landmarks, while its committee strives to make the byway more compelling and easier to use.
Photo caption: Informational signs depicting the Heritage Corridors of Bath and the Yellow Creek Watershed are installed at the Wayside Exhibit. Photo by Wendy Turrell.