The Morton House has benefited recently from several volunteer projects led by Boy Scouts. The projects have helped the boys earn their Eagle Scout status, and they have helped the Morton House with maintenance and improvement.
Last summer, Eagle Scout John Dansfield headed up the project to rebuild the brick walkways and patio around the gazebo behind the house. This summer, Nick Pisarsky worked to scrape and paint the historic cupola which originally stood atop a large barn near the house. (The cupola is all that remains of the barn.) Kris Klassen led a group of fellow scouts in removing the underbrush, small trees and trash from the bluff at the southwest corner of the Morton House grounds. They were also able to uncover a sidewalk that had become covered with dirt and debris. Their work allows the Morton House to be easily seen from Territorial Road all the way from the Arts District.
John, Kris and Nick are all from troop 623 from St Joseph . The troop, sponsored by The First Congregational Church on Niles Ave, was started in 1920. (The Boy Scouts started in 1910 in the United States.) Jim Dansfield, who leads the boys in these projects, is a committee member and acts as an advisor and helper to the boys in many areas, including Eagle projects and annual property clean ups of the Morton House and the Church.
