ABOUT THE FOUNDATION

The Broughton Foundation is a private nonprofit organization established by Carl and Elizabeth Broughton (pictured below) in 1991. The Foundation is managed by members of the Broughton family and hands-on members of a volunteer board of directors. George Broughton serves as President of the Foundation.

The Foundation’s primary mission has been develpment and/or support of local projects for pubilc use that contriute to economic development and quality of life for local people. These projects include:

  • Carl L. Broughton Boathouse (largest contributor)
  • Broughton Nature and Wildlife Education Area (Broughton Nature Park)
  • Elizabeth Sugden Broughton Community Building (ESB)
  • Devola Multi-Use Trail
  • James-Fisher Park
  • Rudolph Family Park

The Foundation has been associated with other projects contributing to economic development and quality of life in the community. In addition to being the principal donor to the Carl L. Broughton Boathouse, the Foundation played a key role in developing the very popular Devola Multi-Use Trail (below).

The Broughton Nature and Wildlife Education Area encompassed 540 acres of undisturbed habitat. These woodlands are available to the public for education, recreation, environmental study, and gatherings of various types. Much of the Park’s development has been related to trails and natural features that preserve the quiet beauty of a forested area.

In addition to trails, collaborations between Broughton and various trail committees, cross-country coaches, disc golf enthusiasts, hiking and mountain biking groups, naturalists, scouts, stewards, and others have been highly successful in developing additional activities for public participation.

The Broughton Nature and Wildlife Education Area was a large area of native Southeastern Ohio forest featuring three ponds, a natural stream with waterfall, rock outcroppings, a variety of plants and animals, and several areas of undisturbed habitat. Other features, now owned and managed by MWCD as Broughton Nature Park, located at at 615 Ohio 821 near Marietta, Ohio, include:

    • Community building
    • Extensive hiking and mountain biking trail system
    • Cross-country courses
    • Disc golf courses
    • A shelter and grounds area
    • Two smaller picnic shelters
    • Three entrances with convenient parking

The Devola Multi-Use Trail was completed in the spring/summer of 2018. The trail is 10 feet wide to comfortably accommodate walkers, runners, bicyclists, walkers/joggers with strollers, and others.

The Elizabeth Sugden Broughton Community Building (ESB) is conveniently located at the main entrance and activity center of Broughton Nature Park on State Route 821. The building is available for weddings, meetings, presentations, training, recreation, social events, and all types of gatherings. It has a kitchen for food brought in by users and caterers, a presentation system, ADA-compliant entrances & restrooms, a patio with a grill, a fire pit, lots of parking, and many other features. The Broughton Family dedicated the Community Building on October 4, 2019. ESB is the largest building project undertaken by The Broughton Foundation.

James-Fisher Park, a historic roadside park from the early 1930s, was donated to the Foundation by the James families in 2019. Built on the banks of the Muskingum River by the State of Ohio in the early 1930s, the scenic and popular picnic spot had fallen into disrepair. The James families acquired the Park, restored it, added a historical marker, and renamed it. In collaboration with The Broughton Foundation, the James families are stewards of James-Fisher Park.

The Foundation’s natural assets increased dramatically in 2022 when the Rudolph family deeded 160 acres of adjacent woodlands with trails to The Broughton Foundation. The Rudolph land and trail system is known as Rudolph Family Park.

With the Rudolph family’s generous gift of land, The Broughton Foundation was then managing nearly 800 acres of adjoining woodland parks and trails for non-motorized public use.

Broughton/Rudolph-built trails are situated in the northernmost section of the Marietta Trail System. The Broughton/Rudolph properties and trail systems are accessible from Ohio State Route 60, Ohio State Route 821, and the Mill Creek Road parking lot in Marietta.

In 2025 the assets of the Broughton Nature and Wildlife Education Area, including the Elizabeth Sugden Broughton Community Building, were sold to the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District to ensure further development and ongoing maintenance of the Park and ESB for public use. Visit the Broughton Nature Park page on the MWCD website.

Financial Gifts to The Broughton Foundation will be used to support projects that support economic development and the community at large. Gifts may be sent to the Marietta Community Foundation (MCF).