The
Barker House
History of Barker House
Tucked within the Barker Woods is Save the Dunes’ headquarters, the Barker House. The turn-of-the-century Renaissance Revival style home located at 444 Barker Road began construction in 1903 and was completed in 1904 by Norton Wallace and Marjory Clark Barker. Norton and Marjory married in 1896 and had two children, Wallace and Margery (note the different spelling).
Sometime after moving into the residence on Barker Road, Norton and Marjory separated and subsequently divorced. Marjory chose to stay in Michigan City in the Barker House. Marjory lived at the home until her death in 1974.
The house sits back from the road on 40 serene acres. Three outbuildings — a 3-car garage, a carriage house, and a dance hall — sit on either side of the two-story dwelling. Marjory was active in caring for the trees, plants, and animals that occupied the woods surrounding her home. Eventually, she had 30 acres of the woods (Barker Woods) surrounding Barker House designated as Classified Forest by the Indiana DNR.
Marjory also stood for conservation in her community. In 1953, fifty-six acres of what is now Cowles Bog was up for sale by Porter County for delinquent taxes. Marjory provided $700 of the cost for Save the Dunes Council to purchase the property. Today, Cowles Bog is part of the Indiana Dunes National Park. In 1954 two years after the beginning of the Save the Dunes Council, Marjory served on its first advisory board.
Marjory passed away in 1976 and soon after, the 30 acres of woods surrounding Barker House were given to The Nature Conservancy for use exclusively as a wildlife preserve and an example of conservation and forestry care. Ownership of Barker Woods Nature Preserve would eventually transfer to Shirley Heinze Land Trust. Marjory’s legacy of environmental concern passed to her daughter, Margery, who served on the Save the Dunes Advisory Board in 1975 and received honors the following year from the Nature Conservancy for her care in preserving Barker Woods.
A Conservation Hub
When Margery died in 1980, she bequeathed the Barker House to the Nature Conservancy. Margery’s vision for the house was that it be used for not-for-profit conservation efforts.
The Nature Conservancy transferred ownership to the Midwest Audubon Society to serve as their Midwest Headquarters. Barker House was transferred back to The Nature Conservancy when the Audubon Society closed their office. Save the Dunes Council set up an office in the Barker House in 1986. Next came the Shirley Heinze Environmental Fund (now Shirley Heinze Land Trust). Then followed the Save the Dunes Conservation Fund, founded in 1994.
In 1997, Save the Dunes Conservation Fund purchased the Barker House from the Nature Conservancy. In 2001, Save the Dunes Conservation Fund successfully attained National Historic Landmark status for the Barker House.
In 2010, Save the Dunes Conservation Fund and Save the Dunes Council merged, now doing business as “Save the Dunes”, carrying forth a long tradition of preservation, protection, and restoration in the Indiana dunes. In 2013, Shirley Heinze acquired their Meadowbrook property in Valparaiso and moved out of the Barker House.
Since 2013, Barker House has been the dedicated headquarters of Save the Dunes. The second story of the home serves as office space for staff members, and the main floor is a meeting and event space.
Barker Woods Nature Preserve
The old-growth forest at Barker Woods is a place for quiet contemplation amid a busy urban environment. The trail is .78 mile long, relatively flat, and is absolutely beautiful during every season! Learn more on the Shirley Heinze Land Trust Website.
Interested in volunteering at Barker House?
Save the Dunes hosts volunteer days throughout the year to clean up the grounds, work on our pollinator garden, and keep the Barker House well maintained. Sign up below and we’ll contact you when these volunteer opportunities arise!
