In June of 1987, the school building was moved across the fields and through the woods to Billieville, and a new building was erected. The new structure was designed in the style of a one-room schoolhouse, but serves as a check-in point for guests and as a historical exhibit of Ed Lowe’s business ventures, entrepreneurship initiatives and involvement in the…
Billieville, which today serves as a hub for the foundation’s retreat facilities, began life in the 1970s as two pole barns that housed antiques and equipment. To make these storage areas more interesting, the Lowes asked their craftsmen to construct facades so the buildings appeared to be part of an old western town. Ed christened the area “Billieville” after Darlene’s…
Built in 1880 at a cost of $1,700, the building is constructed of wood entirely from this area. Its architectural style is called “Carpenters Gothic,” and its quiet intimacy lends itself to special programs, services and pondering. The Penn Church has been used for weddings, memorial services, a baptism and meetings of local community groups. As was his wish, Mr….
In late November 2012 the foundation staff moved into a new headquarters facility. The building replaces one destroyed by a fire in January 2011 (originally constructed in the late 1970s as a barn for a black angus cattle program that Ed Lowe developed and later adapted into office space). Located closer to the foundation’s entrance at 58220 Decatur Road, the…