$50K grant to help Charlestown State Park restore remaining Ranney Well structure

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Friends of Charlestown State Park just received a $50,000 grant to restore a piece of its history.

The STEM Education grant from the American Water Charitable Foundation will be used for the Ranney Well Restoration Project.

"The Ranney Wells are a significant part of the park's history and story," Brandt Baughman, interim director of Indiana State Parks, said in a news release Thursday.

The Ranney Wells served as the source of water for the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant from 1940 until 1995. The plant was located on what is now known as the Charlestown State Park.

The massive wells drew water from an underground aquifer to supply water to the plant, which leaders said was built to produce smokeless powder.

The wells sat unused for many years before they were eventually capped. All but one of the above-ground structures for the wells were removed due to their condition, officials said.

The remaining structure, for Collector Well No. 1, was kept in place to "interpret the significance of the wells to the plant and park history," officials said. It will be restored to help teach about the park's history.

"This project will create new opportunities for outdoor learning, water education and historical discovery, especially for local students and youth programs," Jill Duvall, vice president of the Friends of Charlestown State Park, said in Thursday's news release.

Duvall said the funding will help the park transform the last remaining well in to a "safe, accessible and educational destination for all park visitors."

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$50K grant to help Charlestown State Park restore remaining Ranney Well structure