Loading...
Clinton News-Record, 1987-06-17, Page 30Page 10A—CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1987 Get Great Grass from THE edA/ aw 524®2424 OR, CALL TOLL FREE 1-600-265-5593 Stratford's Finest Baby Store 19 York St. * Nursery Decorations * Simmons Cribs * Perego Strollers * Wall Hangings Stratford * Clothing *Co-ordinating Linen * Formula One Car Seats * Gifts and Toys *Fisher-Price Furniture We're Fully Equipped for any Job • Farm ponds • Gravel Bailing Dragline Iter • Trucking • Gravel, Sand & Stone • Bulldozing • Excavating • Top Soil • Septic Systems "No job is too big or too small" Res. 482-9212 erner CONTRACTING DD. Trucking Excavating Clinton Shop 482-9926 Museum ready in 1988 BY LOU -ANN HOPE Claus Breede is happy these days and well he should be what with construction of the new Huron County Pioneer Museum well underway and a March 1988 comple- tion date within sight. Breede, project director -at the museum, was hired in 1985 to oversee the two-phase construction -renovation project of the museum. A project, which once complete- ly finished, could run close to $3.5 million. The Huron- County Pioneer Museum, located on North Street in Goderich, has been in desparate need of renovations for many years now, Breed noted. Attesting to this is the fact that in 1982 the building was condemned, declared unsafe for visitors. "In 1982, a portion of the roof collapsed which indicated to all that things were not well. The building was condemned, declared to be unsafe. Minor things were required to be looked after before the museum could open in 1983. These were done but the second floor has remained closed to the public since 1983," Breede said. At that time, it became obvious that something had to be done soon to save the museum. It was at this point that serious thought concerning renovation and reconstruction of the museum actually began and from which, almost three years later, emerged the project which is now being undertaken. A major study concerning the Huron County Pioneer Museum was commission- ed in 1984: From this study, Breede noted three mandates were proposed concerning the museum. They were: (1) look at a new site for the museum in Goderich, (2) look at current site with no buildings., and (3) look at current site with buildings to see what could be salvaged. The study was tabled with Huron County Counil in the fall of 1984. Breede noted that council decided the most favorable option was to keep the same site and the 1856 building and "essentially try to beef up or renovate the remainder." It was at this point that Breede was hired as project. director, to oversee the entire construction and renovation project. Shortly after he arrived on the scene, it was decided not to retain any of the museum additions. "This was the point of departure for the planning process which lasted all of 1986," Breede noted. Chris Borgal, a Blyth ar- chitect, was hired to design the new museum, incorporating the original building and designing a building which would fit in with the surrounding residen- tial area. A task not as easy as it sounds. DESIGN OF MUSEUM "One of the difficulties that we faced was the meeting of a set of rather strict criteria from the collections viewpoint and the fact that we wanted to maintain the human scale of the building given its loca- tion in a residential neighborhood," Breede noted. The largest item in the museum's collection is a 60 foot locomotive. Many other pieces are as large as 35 or 40 feet. In addition to considering these factors. the designers also had to consider the stan- dards for community museums establish- ed by the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture. These standards make recom- mendations on such issues as percentages or space requirements for the five main museum functions: curatorial activities. exhibit space, building services, exhibit preparation and educational services. Breede noted that maintaining the new building meant incorporating it in with the new section so as to blend the two together. By the summer of 1986, a design was presented to County Council. The design sees the construction of a new two-storey wing which will, aside from being the new entrance to the museum, house a number of galleries. staff offices, gift shop. storage room, theatre, lounge, and washroom facilities. The new wing will join the original building which will eventually he divided into four galleries. There is also a partial basement where the two buildings meet. The museum will also be accessible for the disabled by way of an elevator. "The new building divides the museum into two halves. The north side is public space and the south half issupport space HAVE YOU GOT YOUR COPY? Some Reader Comments: "Great Book - Send Me 10 More" "Couldn't Put It Down' "Our Teenagers Are Reading & Discussing It" "I Bought 20 For Business Associates" .A collection of 175 Focus articles & Radio Programs by Bob Shrier Te response to "Let's Think For A Minute" has been beyond ex- pectations. The first printing was sold out and the second printing is now available. Reader comments about the book are encouraging others to get their copy. Readers who received one as a gift at Christmas are buying or order- ing books for friends, family and business associates. Get your copy today! Books Available at: e • e anb j'i (garb l c The IN THF C(ViMTRV SOUTH OF RI VTH ON HW' 4 "One of the difficulties we faced was the making of a rather strict set of criteria from the col- lections viewpoint and the fact that we wanted to maintain the human scale of the building," Claus Breede. ( which includes such things as loading dock, temporary exhibition space, central storage area and a high security storage area and research room )," Breede said. In February of 1987, not only had the museum advertised for tenders on the con- struction work but they also received word of a $1.1 million grant from the federal government. The museum was awarded a $1,171,300 Community Facilities Improvement Pro- gram (CFIP) grant from the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture. The remaining amount of phase one's $2.4 million cost will come from Huron County. By the middle of March 1987, Breede said a tender by a London construction company had been accepted. The suc- cessful bidders, Bach -McDougall of Lon- don, were formally awarded the contracts on April 15 and by,the middle of May they were in town and hard at work tearing down the museum additions, excavating the basement and laying the foundation for the new wing. Breede noted that museum items are currently in storage in the original museum building, in a storage shed on the museum grounds and at an off -museum site location. Although construction is well underway, the museum will remain open to the public. TWO-PHASE PROJECT With an anticipated completion date of March 1988 for phase one of the project. Breede is already looking ahead to phase two of the construction -renovation project. "There are two phases to the project. The first phase involves allof the new con- struction. Phase two includes the renova- tion of the original building, and the development of galleries in the new building," he said. "The schedule for th construction of the new building will probably see the comple- tion of the structure of phase one by the end of March next year. We will ,be in a position to open the building at that time with temporary exhibits in place and the final exhibition development will be com- pleted two or three years after that," Breede said. While funding for the second phase has not yet been received, Breede said he is hoping to have word from the federal government by mid -summer. -It would save a lot of trouble is we could get actively into designing the galleries now," he said. Breede added he would be grateful if the federal government would see fit to bestow a grant in the neighborhood of $1 million for phase two. He noted half of this could be used in renovating the original building while the remaining funds could be put towards developing the galleries. He add- ed developing the galleries would not be finished for -a couple of years." The Huron County Pioneer Museum began in 1948 with the county's acquistion of the Neill collection. The facility opened in 1951 with the purchase of the 1856 Cen- tral School Building. Mr. Herbert Neill was the museum's first curator and was responsible for establishing the galleries. Several additions were added to the building in the following years. Breede noted the museum's attendance peaked in the late 1950's with about 30.000 per year. In 1982, only 12.000 neonle visited the museum. Once the construction -renovation pro- ject is completed, the Huron County Pioneer Museum will be open to the public on a year-round basis, unlike previous years when the musuem has operated on a seasonal basis. Claus Breede, project director at the Huron County Pioneer Museum. stands at what will he the staff entrance to the new wing of the museum (located off of Bruce Street 1. Phase 1 of the construction -renovation process is currently underway at the museum and is aiming for completion date of March 1988. In the background is a temporary storage shed for museum items. ( photo by Lou -Ann Hope ) More tours will be made possible Once Phase 1 of the Huron ('ounty Pioneer Museum construction -renovation process is completed, the museum will be open and will have temporary exhibits on display for the public to view, although final exhibition development is not ex- pected to be completed until 1990-91. With the new museum design, no longer will visitors enter the original building first. Instead they will enter a main -floor lobby which joins the two buildings together. From the registration desk, the visitors will move into a 70 seat theatre for a short orientation film. After viewing the film. the visitors will then exit to the old building (1856 school) where, on two floors the theme of the museum and the history of the county will be described in four galleries, each measuring approximately 30 feet by 60 feet. The upper and lower halls will be restored to their appearance in 1960 as Mr. Herbert Neill had developed them. From the school building. the museum visitors will move into the new building while still on the second floor Once in the new wing, the visitors can relax in the lounge and enjoy tea and cookies supplied by the Friends of the Museum Committee They will then proceed through the Military Gallery and on to the upper por- tion of the Agricultural Gallery with its mezzanine overlooking the exhibit of large agricultural equipment on the lower floor. Next to the Agricultural Gallery will be exhibits dealing with transportation as well as domestic exhibits. The visitor will then move to the first floor by way of an apartment staircase, circa 1890, and emerge onto a full scale street scape almost 100 feet long and two floors high. In this area, building fronts will consist of architectural remnants salvaged from throughout the county. Some of these in- clude the Queen's Motel in Brussels and re- mains of the orginal Wingham fire hall. The museum intends to add such items as shop signs, windows, key stones and other remnants over the years. Plans for all of the galleries have yet to be finalised. (`gee page 11 for sketch)