Whoo Hoo! The $30,000 matching fundraiser was super successful - thanks to all of you! With over $62,000 generated from the effort and funding by the Johnson County Commissioners, work on the front of the building will begin this year. THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU!
We will continue to fund raise and budget for Phases Two and Three so that all work on the Carnegie will be completed over the next few years.
Constructed in 1909, the native sandstone and limestone blocks of the
front entrance have been damaged by weather and water. This ongoing
issue is causing cracking of the stone blocks, shifting between the
stones and the concrete apron, water migration into the basement, and
surface loss around the whole building. Help us preserve this beautiful
and historic building by donating to the Carnegie Building fund.
What's it going to cost?
The
museum operational budget is partially provided by the Johnson County
Commissioners and the rest is brought in through museum store sales,
grants, admissions, and donations. Holding around $350,000 annually,
the yearly budget does not have the capacity to fund a large project
such as this. With a historic preservationist lined up to do the work,
the Carnegie building fund needs to reach $600,000 in order to complete
all of the necessary repairs. However; instead of waiting even longer
to acquire the full amount we intend to conduct fundraising and repair
work in phases - tackling the highest priority pieces first.
Phase one (work scheduled to start mid September, 2023) includes the front steps, south column, and stonework beneath that column as this area is suffering from the elements the most with water and ice continuously wearing away at the stones.
How will this be accomplished?
A
true community effort will see this through! We are quite optimistic
because we know that the community of individuals who support the Jim
Gatchell Memorial Museum have and can do great things. The Johnson
County Commissioners are securing funds to assist - and the museum has received over $60,000 during the summer of 2023 to get work started on Phase one. We will be continuing to fund-raise until the whole project (three phases, totaling about $600,000) is accomplished.
Got Questions?
We LOVE to share about the museum, the Carnegie Building, and everything that goes with. Drop us a line at director@jimgatchell.com with any questions. Be sure to check out our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram (links at top of page), and best yet--stop by the museum!