ACHS kicks off capital improvment campaign

The Auglaize County Historical Society is gaining momentum with its capital improvement campaign.

The campaign kicked off at the end of May and already raised $14,450. The historical society hopes to raise $75,000 to cover repairs at several buildings they oversee.

A professional assessment of Historical Society properties was conducted last fall, revealing large projects to be tackled.

“We have some big projects that we finally need to get accomplished, and we had this professional assessment, that pointed out some of the things that we didn’t see,” Auglaize County Historical Society President Sharon Schnelle said. She said having a professional eye was helpful for prioritizing those projects.

At the top of the list is the Gary Log House on the Auglaize County Fairgrounds, which needs about $43,000 in repairs.

“When they created the foundation, the support posts underneath the center of the house, were not as secure as they might be,” Historical Society Director Rachel Barber said, explaining that the posts have settled.

She said sections of the floor will be cut out to add additional support.

“There should be a saddle around the chimney, to provide drainage away from the chimney, and that did not happen at the time that the building was moved,” Barber said.

The saddle stops the water from going in between the logs, and as a result there has been deterioration adjacent to the chimney.

Barber said they have looked at estimates from contractors and they have selected Midwest Maintenance out of Piqua to complete the work.

Other large projects included in the campaign include roof repairs at the Daniel F Mooney Museum and repairs to the Olive Branch Church. A windstorm years ago damaged part of the north wall and rafters. On the 1917 addition to the Wapakoneta Museum a flat roof section will also need to be replaced.