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The Osgood Community Veterans Center is located just off of State Route 705 on the west side of town.
OSGOOD- A newly constructed veteran's center recently opened in Osgood following the sale of the area's old American Legion.
The old property is slated for demolition to make way for the expansion of a nearby restaurant.
Area non-profit Do Good in His Name, Inc., which runs Do Good Restaurant and Ministry at 25 Main St., Osgood, purchased the American Legion Post 588 building at 228 North St., Osgood, earlier this year. The property is estimated to cost $153,070, per the Darke County Auditor's website.
In addition to acquiring the old Legion, Do Good owner Karen Homan, of Cassella, also agreed to pay for the construction of their new center, Sons of the American Legion (SAL) member Mitchell Bohman said. Similar agreements were made with other nearby property owners.
"They've acquired all the property behind that (Do Good Restaurant) facility," Bohman said. "Several other homes- she's (Homan) either offered them money, bought them a lot or built them a home in exchange for their property that they were at. Similarly, that's what she's basically done for the Osgood Community Veterans Center."
The exact cost of the veterans center, located just off of State Route 705 on the west end of Osgood, was never disclosed due to the nature and uniqueness of it, but Bohman said there's speculation that it was between $1.4 million and $1.7 million.
Homan, contractors from Boyer Construction of Minster, architects from Garmann Miller of Minster, Bohman and several other Legionnaires joined to form a building committee to plan and design the new center, he said.
"The building committee for the Osgood Community Veterans Center kind of overlooked things, to say, 'Hey, we like this, we don't like this. Could we tweak this? Or that?'" Bohman said. "But overall, Boyer and them pretty much took the lead on everything. Overall I think the committee has been very pleased with the outcome. It's an amazing building."
Non-profit Osgood Community Veteran Center, Inc., which had owned the old Legion building for three years before its recent sale, owns the new center and leases a space in the back to the SAL and American Legion, Bohman said.
"Most of the building is like a rental venue, like a hall for weddings and such," he said. "There's a back area in that facility, (which) is the space that the Legion and the Sons of Legion rent. It's like a 30-by-40 (foot) room. It's in the back corner of the building itself. That's where they primarily hold their meetings every month and have some of their events now."
He added that the SAL and American Legion will utilize other portions of the building for some of its regular events, like their fish fries in the spring and an annual poker tournament.
"Some other events that they host, like fundraisers, they'll use the entire building for that," Bohman said. "But primarily, they're just in the rear of the building."
The veterans center has already been utilized for at least three wedding so far with more planned for 2026, he said. It seats about 350 comfortably and is laid out like a "normal wedding venue," he added.
The Osgood American Legion along with the SAL said goodbye to their old building, built in 1952, in April with a final salute event. Simultaneously, construction of the Osgood Community Veteran Center was wrapping up, and finally completed over the summer.
Osgood's old American Legion building at 228 North St. was recently purchased by local non-profit Do Good in His Name, Inc.
The old property on North Street is set for demolition. A parking lot will then be built on the lot to accommodate Do Good's proposed His Walk of Miracles Garden. The garden will feature life-size scenes depicting the life of Jesus and is estimated at around $5 million.
With it slated to be razed, Bohman recalled fond memories of attending numerous events at the 73-year-old property during his childhood and into his adulthood.
"I spent time there as a kid, growing up, they always had events up there, like with the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. (They held) church dances, that kind of thing," he said. "I've been to a few weddings in there. In more recent years, being active with the Sons of the American Legion, I've been up there, for their different events, helping with those. I've spent a decent amount of time there."
However, the new, slightly bigger, veterans center is sure to open up more opportunities for the small community, he said. "some events are already planned."
"It's got a lot more accommodations. It's obviously new, and a lot easier to maintain. I think over time, as people become aware of it, it'll become utilized more and more in the community. I know the community plans to continue to have their parish dance in the new facility, (along with) the fireman's Soup Sunday, and I think the firemen have a picnic that they have scheduled up there," Bohman said. "I think the hope is that similar to the other building, the community events will be hosted in the new one. It's just going to have a little different look and different feel."
Bohman added that the staff behind the new veterans center hope to hold an open house for the community to check it out some time this fall, likely in November, though no date has been set.
More information on the Osgood Community Veterans Center & SOL Squadron 0588, Ohio Facebook page."
The new Osgood Community Veterans Center is located just off of State Route 705 on the west side of town.
