Our History

In August of 1967, Dr. Bob Hart purchased the 200-acre property (now Hart Square) as a nature preserve. The land remained only a woodland reserve for several years for deer, geese, and a few wood ducks.

In 1973, a patient told Bob about an old cabin on his property that needed saving. He suggested it would look nice on his upper pond. Bob, who was never quick to turn down an adventure, chose to move the cabin, log by log, to that pond where it still stands today.

As you may have guessed, that is just the story's beginning. Bob had a knack for taking things from good to great, and a cabin is good, but a cabin with a barn is even better. Time marched on, and so did Bob. He marched his way to 103 19th-century log structures one by one with the help of several volunteers. The Village was completed in 2019.

In 2005 the Hart Square Foundation was founded to create an endowment to preserve Hart Square Village. In 2017, Dr. Bob and Becky Hart officially donated the village, collection, and property to Hart Square Foundation for its historic preservation. Hart Square Foundation completed the construction of the Sigmon Family Education Center in 2021. 

Dr. Bob passed away peacefully in a cabin by the lake on March 15, 2020. But his vision to share pioneer history with the next generation did not fade with him. At Hart Square Foundation, we continue to work daily to share the village and his memory. The collection is shared through annual events, membership, folkways classes, and field trip programming. Visit our about us page to see what we are up to now.