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Museum addition nearing completion  Share
A new handicap accessible addition at the Manteno Historical Society is in its final stages. Historical society president Jackie Hammond said she hopes to have the addition open by the Manteno Oktoberfest that runs Sept. 24 through 27. In the spring of 2008, construction on the addition began at the museum located at 192 West Third Street. ''We originally obtained a grant from the State of Illinois to construct a handicap accessible ramp,'' Jackie said. ''Then we started thinking, why not put the ramp on the inside of the museum?'' From that thought came another. ''Once someone who uses a wheelchair comes inside, they may need to use a handicap accessible restroom,'' Jackie said.
In this new addition, the museum could then display historical items in a more spacious setting. Historical society vice-president and architect Jeff Jarvis created plans for the new addition. The addition will include a stairwell to the basement, which is used for storage; recessed lighting, air conditioning, a handicap accessible restroom and two doors leading into the main museum area. Initially the proposed expansion was set for 850 square feet, with an estimated cost between $80,000 and $100,000. The addition is slightly smaller, however, to abide by village regulations. The village required that several feet needed to be left between the rear of the addition and the alley. In that area, parking spaces now are available. The grant for the museum was part of a larger state grant obtained by the Village of Manteno, Jackie said. State of Illinois Representative Lisa Dugan helped the museum obtain $7,500 from that larger grant. The American Legion and HomeStar bank each donated $5,000 for the building fund. Many private individuals also gave $1,000 donations for the building project. The majority of other funds for the building project have come from community members. ''We continue to operate solely on the donations we receive,'' Jackie said about the museum. Fund-raisers account for 20 percent of the museum's income. Jackie applies to the Village of Manteno each year for a donation to the museum, she said. This year the village gave $4,500. An increasing number of people also are leaving ''in memoriams'' towards the museum, she said. HomeStar bank also pays for printing services to publish the ''Manteno Historical Society Journal'' twice a year which is distributed to museum members. The historical society has roughly 170 members at this time. As of the first week of August, Jackie was waiting for plumbing and electrical work in the new addition to be approved by village code enforcement. ''Once we close in the walls,'' Jackie said, ''our progress will go fast.'' World War I and World War II items, including military uniforms, currently displayed in a small room upstairs in the museum will be moved into the new addition. ''So many more people can appreciate these items now that they will be downstairs,'' Jackie said. She may use the upstairs room for exhibits that appeal to younger people, she said. Museum volunteers, community members and local businesses have donated time and services to help make this addition complete. For example: -Lamore Electric in Manteno donated electric installation services. -Museum volunteers plan to place insulation between wall studs with the instruction of Jeff Jarvis. -Jeff Jarvis will install the drywall. -Museum volunteers primed the exterior of the new addition in preparation for a final coat of paint. Currently, the museum's entire exterior is also receiving a fresh coat of paint. Ace Hardware donated all of the paint for the project, Jackie said. Colors will include a light color for larger surfaces and highlights of burgundy and teal for trim work. Manteno High School agriculture teacher Mike Walsh has students plant flowers at the museum each year. ''Maybe they will do plantings around the new addition, too,'' Jackie said. ''This is truly a community project.'' Donations of historic items to display in the museum are always welcome. Recently, Bob and Claire Hilsenhoff of Manteno donated a Victorian couch. Gussie Mansfield of Manteno wants to donate old Manteno News newspapers and typesetting equipment. Another Manteno citizen donated an insulated ice cream delivery container that was used at the old Manteno Candy Kitchen. Jackie is specifically seeking donations of Victorian furniture for the dining room and parlor of the home. ''I'd like to eventually see the house be as close to authentic as possible,'' she said. She'd also like to see many more visitors at the museum, guest speakers, people holding weddings and/or military reenactments on the museum grounds, and having elementary school classes hold a day of class in the historic one-room Bloom School House that is situated on the property. The Manteno Historical Society was founded in 1986 and the Charles Skinner House opened as a museum in 1994. The historical society's purpose is ''to preserve anything pertaining to Manteno's history and illuminate our little corner of the world.'' *** The Manteno Historical Society museum is open the first Saturday of the month from 1-3 p.m. Anyone who would like to visit the museum at any other time can make arrangements with Jackie by calling 815-468-6124. See their Web site at www.mantenohistoricalsociety.org. If you'd like to make a monetary donation to the museum, please send a check to: Manteno Historical Society, 192 West Third Street, Manteno, Ill. 60950. If you would like to donate a historical item to the museum, please call Jackie. Tracy Ahrens is a reporter for Russell Publications.
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