Western Illinois Museum issued the following announcement on June 8.
Work has begun!
The south facade of the museum building is sporting a new look, well really, an old look! We have hired Jerry Vawter who, with his crew, has started to remove the white paint from the original 1941 brick. He will also tuck point the masonry. He recently commented that the work has begun “just in time.” The steel lintels are badly rusted and these conditions create the possibility for shifting brick and structural damage.
Once the masonry is stabilized we’ll begin the work to install the new windows. A contractor will remove the old windows, replace the steel lintels and build a buck or frame for the new windows. While the window openings will need to be boarded up while the windows are manufactured at our local Pella plant, the representative from the company advised this would be the best way to get accurate measurements to ensure a good fit. Given the large size and expense of the windows, we have chosen to follow this sound advice. The windows will take three weeks to be made, once they are ordered.
How’s the fundraising going?
In the last few months, we have received support from 43 individuals who have donated $7,640 towards our $17,000 goal. I have enjoyed visiting with many people who dropped by to see the area we are working to improve. In addition to contributions from individual supporters, we have worked to find support from foundations and other granting sources. We are pleased to announce that we have received support from the Leighty Family Fund and the McDonough Power Cooperative.
Ike (Herman) Leighty was a longtime supporter of the Western Illinois Museum, providing seed money in 2001 to establish the museum in its downtown Macomb location. He passed away in 2015 but the family still visits and supports the museum. Look for more information about Ike in our exhibit, Celebrating 200 Years and 200 People. In addition to a grant we received in 2017 of $5,000, they have given an additional $10,000 this year. We appreciate their ongoing commitment to our mission.
The McDonough Power Cooperative’s Operation Round Up is a unique charitable program designed to provide financial assistance to deserving causes within McDonough Power’s service area. We are pleased to have received a $2,000 grant from the Cooperative to help fund the window project.
Both the McDonough Power Cooperative and the Leighty Family Fund recognize the museum as a community resource where all ages can gather, learn, and share. Finding partners that share our vision and generously support our efforts is truly a gift.
Join us for these upcoming fundraisers
The Western Illinois Museum’s new window project is will be the featured at the June 14th Vino and Vinyl event starting at 6:00 pm at Chubby’s restaurant in downtown Macomb. Hosted by museum member Bill Maakestad, he invites guests to enjoy good food and a glass of vino AND support our new window project. We’ll be bringing a few “vinyls” from the museum’s collection and invite you to do the same. This unique event is the perfect way to support all things local. See you there!
We’ve re-named our annual ice cream social The Annual Gil Belles Old Fashion Ice Cream Social. This was one of Gil’s favorite events at the museum and it is a fitting way to honor his good works. We are confident that he’d be pleased that the funds raised from this year’s Ice Cream Social will be used to support the window project. It will be held at the museum on June 16th, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Read more…
We’ll keep you up to date on the project and as always, you are welcome to come by for a tour at your local museum!
Original source can be found here.
Source: Western Illinois Museum
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