The Brookwood area in south Toledo is unique to Metroparks Toledo.
The 50 acres on Swan Creek Drive and an adjacent 115-acre preserve were donated to the park district.
Operated as part of Swan Creek Preserve, it is accessible only during programs and special events and can be reserved for private functions.
The house, featuring a renovated music room and rental space, was once home to William and Virginia Belt and their four children.
Mr. Belt worked for the U.S. Forest Service in 1927, where he developed an appreciation for nature, which is reflected in the grounds surrounding Brookwood.
A more recent addition to the grounds is a suspension bridge and observation tower, right.
A plaque at the site reads, in part, “The Fran and Dick Anderson Bridge, connects both sides of Swan Creek, bringing together the legacies of two families–the Andersons and the Belts.” The 90-foot span features a timber observation tower on the west end that overlooks the Swan Creek floodplain, below.
According to Dave Zenk, park director, the structure pays homage to a treehouse that used to be in the area by a bridge. In the floodplain and acreage surrounding the Belt home, it is not uncommon for visitors to spy wild turkeys, deer, eagles and other wildlife.
