MANSFIELD, Ohio (WCMH) — Possibly the last images of one of Ohio's most mysterious and forgotten places have been revealed through the lens of a local digital creator, who has a knack for uncovering some of the state's most intriguing history.
In the past year, Mark Soergel has shared rare photos of the Longaberger Basket Building and Whitehall’s former Woodcliff condos on his Facebook page. Recently, Soergel posted dozens of pictures of a former outdoor arena built specifically to host a historical performance about a legendary figure who worked to transform Ohio and the surrounding regions nearly 200 years ago.
“I enjoyed an absolutely gorgeous day on Sunday and hiked up to the abandoned Johnny Appleseed Amphitheater near Charles Mill Lake,” wrote Soergel in the post's caption. “This beautiful site sits nestled into a hill deep in the woods and is surrounded by nature on all sides.”
Soergel's images feature vines draping down the amphitheater's seats, vacant passageways, a shattered window, old electronics, and what seems to be a single shoe from an Appleseed-era costume.
Photo Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel DesignsPhoto Courtesy/ Mark Soergel Designs“Sadly, it only stayed open for an outdoor drama/play about the life of Johnny Appleseed for 2 seasons, from 2004-05 and has sat vacant since,” added Soergel. “Several attempts to save or repurpose it have failed for various reasons over the years, and it just continues to succumb to the forces of time and nature.”
received dozens of reactions and comments admiring Soergel's spooky compositions and lamenting the venue's current condition.
“Whelp, I see folks have finally started busting the place up,” said one person. “Was here several yrs ago & it was in good shape.”
“Awesome pics,” offered another viewer. “I love places like that.”
Ohio lawmakers want to allow pregnant women to use accessible parking spacesAs it turns out, Soergel's mystical photography shoot might be the last recorded images of the amphitheater. The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, which owns the land in Ashland County, east of Mansfield, recently made the “difficult” decision to demolish the facility.
Pete Novotny, the MWCD chief of recreation, told NBC4 that after an exhaustive study, the organization learned that several factors would doom its redevelopment. Novotny cited its isolation, inaccessibility to water and lack of infrastructure as barriers to its repurposing.
Crews began dismantling the open-air theater in September, according to Novotny. He said the MWCD paid $325,000 to remove the installation, but liability concerns outweighed the cost. The area will be “returned to nature.”
An old promotional video produced by the now-defunct Johnny Appleseed Heritage Center nonprofit organization highlights the history of the amphitheater. The video features Tim Smucker, the great-grandson of the well-known jelly maker J.M. Smucker, who served as the honorary chairman of the fundraising committee. The production explains the center's plans.
“Johnny Appleseed Heritage Center's 45-acre site lies within the 118-acre Johnny Appleseed Forest, halfway between Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio,” the video's narrator notes. “Its location was chosen carefully for its relationship not only with apple seeds, activities, but also with exciting events that took place during the early settling of the region. Johnny Appleseed actually lived and worked with native inhabitants and early settlers in these very same hills.”
The recording goes on to detail the site's future amenities.
“In addition to the more than two-hour historical outdoor musical drama presented in a 1,600-seat, naturally contoured and wooded amphitheater, the center will also offer an interactive museum focusing on Johnny's life on the region and apple industry, and on the 90-seat J.M. Smucker Company indoor auditorium and library,” the narrator continues. “Also planned are nature trails and indoor classroom and outreach programs for children and adults on philanthropy, humanitarianism, and conservation.”
Additionally, background on Johnny Appleseed is presented in the late '90s tape recording.
Specialty bagel shop to open near Ohio State campus in spring 2026“An extraordinary missionary who goes about barefooted,” the voice-over says. “Can sleep anywhere, and can live on the coarsest and most scanty fare. He has even fought the ice with his bare feet. He gathers what books he can of the new church, travels into the remote settlements and lands the books wherever he can find readers. This man, for years, has been cultivating in numerous places in the wilderness.
“He was an uncommon man with universal appeal. Known for his courage, sacrifice, and his impact on the lives of Ohio's early settlers and the generations that followed. John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, is a true American hero.”
More of Soergel's work can be found in person at the Ashland University Art+Design Alumni Art exhibition, running through Oct. 31, in the Coburn Art Gallery at Ashland University. The event is free and open to the public.
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