October 21, 2004 the Board of Trustees of the Lorain County Historical Society formally announced their decision to create a new Lorain County History Center. The plans for this new museum space were on display during a reception held for LCHS members and guests at the former Starr/Redington house located at 284 Washington Avenue. This large Italianate-style mansion, built in 1857, is the oldest surviving structure on Washington Avenue. Both the house and its carriage barn are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

This is one of the two most significant decisions ever made in the 117-year history of the Society. The acquisition of The Hickories in 1975 has provided an important base of operation for our work since that time. However, the development of this new property offers a tremendous potential for us to expand our services to the citizens of Lorain County. We will now be able to fully embrace our mission by creating a History Center where we can preserve, interpret, and present the history of all of Lorain County. 

The LCHS Board has approved a $1.6 million Capital Campaign to finance this most important cultural facility. The co-chairs of the Campaign are Fred Pond, CEO of Ridge Tool Company and Ken Rothgery, Esq. of Rothgery and Associates,LLP. Important contributions have been pledged from local companies such as R. W. Beckett Corporation, Ridge Tool Company, and others. Funding has also been received from the LCHS Board of Trustees and staff. In addition, the Society was the recipient of a $300,000 grant from the State of Ohio through the efforts of the late State Representative, Jeff Manning. More than 30% of the total campaign goal representing $500,000 has already been contributed toward this valuable project. 

            

When completed, the new History Center will contain 7 new galleries for exhibits, a research library, an archival workshop, a large meeting room for important programming, new administrative offices and a gift shop. In addition, there will be a significant increase in storage space, which will allow the Society to continue to collect and properly preserve important county artifacts and archival materials well into the future. Three floors of the facility will be open to the public, and each will have Americans With Disabilities Act compliant accessibility. One of the major exhibit galleries will be dedicated to rotating exhibits provided from local historical societies in Lorain County as well as local industries, and even private collectors. Appropriate climate, lighting, and security controls will be provided in all exhibit galleries as well.

Executive Director Bill Bird is extremely excited about the concept of a new History Center. "At The Hickories we are preserving a wonderful building and presenting a house museum which interprets the lifestyle of an early 1900's family of means. At the Starr/Redington house we will continue to serve our preservation mission since this building was originally slated for demolition. However, our usage of the new space will be totally different in that we are creating a museum in a house, which will provide many valuable resources and educational opportunities for people to learn about the history of the entire county."

The Lorain County Historical Society currently has over 400 members and is governed by a Board of 18 trustees. It is designated by the IRS as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit educational organization and operates on a current annual budget in the range of $240,000. Using a small staff and dedicated volunteers, the Society collects and preserves numerous artifacts and archives significant to the county's history and provides an extensive educational outreach program to schools as well as to many community organizations. In addition, The Hickories Museum hosts over 1500 visitors annually.

               

At this time, LCHS is appealing to the entire Lorain County Community to help us complete the Capital Campaign goal. Any and all contributions will be gratefully accepted. Permanent donor recognition will be provided in the building for all gifts of $500 and higher. This includes individual naming plaques for all of the major rooms in the facility as well as an attractive donor recognition sculpture, which will appear in the central hallway. Pledge payments may be divided over a three-year period.

Any resident, business, or organization interested in helping create the new Lorain County History Center is urged to contact Executive Director, Bill Bird, at (440) 322-3341. A descriptive brochure describing the project is available at the Society's offices in The Hickories at 509 Washington Avenue in Elyria.