The Omena Historical Society (OHS) opens its 2024 season this coming Monday evening with a celebration of two big events. Monday is the 20th anniversary of the move of the Putnam Cloud Tower House from its original location on what is now Villa Marquette property to downtown Omena. It is now the home of the OHS Museum. The building was built as the home of one of Omena’s earliest farmers, Rinaldo Putnam. Many of his descendants are still in the area.
In the fall of 2003, Mary Hallett Stanton, whose father and brother had been caretakers at the Villa, learned that the Tower House was going to be demolished. Over the years, it had fallen into disrepair. The Jesuits agreed to donate the building and made a contribution to help with the cost of the move.
A committee consisting of Mary Stanton, Marsha Buehler, David and Sally Viskochil, Jim Centner, Joey Bensley, who was then president of OHS, and then County Commissioner Mary Tonneberger began the task of researching how to move a house of this size. An agreement was reached with the Omena Village Preservation Association (OVPA) to lease a portion of their property in downtown Omena.
