Museum renovations are under way

Extensive interior renovations are under way at the Jackson County Central Historical Society Museum in Lakefield.

Work began the last week of March.

Funding for the updating and remodeling of the museum came from savings the museum experienced thanks to a donation from an area farmer that left funds to pay for a new roof for museum as well as the updating of the museum HVAC system.

Each year, the (county) commissioners give us funds as a line item on their annual budget, said society director Mike Kirchmeier. That is $60,000 a year for everything all of the expenses to operate the museum. The funds we have beyond that are raised here.

While project contractor Horkey Construction of Heron Lake works on the front portion of the museum building, Sohn Electric of Jackson is working on the backroom, Kirchmeier said, putting in 20 new, energy-efficient fixtures and bulbs. Sohn Electric added transformers and motion detectors to the lights as well.

The backroom lights work on a motion-detecting system where any motion causes the lights to come on when a person enters the room, Kirchmeier said. They stay on for 30 minutes and stay on as long as there is some motion in the room. Then they shut down after that timeframe if no motion is detected.

In order for the work to be done on the front room of the museum, a lot of items had to be moved, Kirchmeier noted. Displays like the depot had to be moved, as well as the front office. But there were many additional individual items, showcases and displays that had to be moved about too.

The depot was moved near the Heron Lake display in the third room and the office was tore out so the contractors could work there, Kirchmeier said. Moving the depot and removing the office opened up the front room space, but it also left open spaces on the interior walls that needed to be sheetrocked and insulated.

Volunteer Todd Post has been doing the insulating and sheetrock work on those areas of the museum.

Mike Horkey is working on the new drop ceiling framework for the new ceiling in the front room, Kirchmeier said. Remodeling the front room, adding the drop ceiling with its white tiles and replacing the old light fixtures there with larger light fixtures will make the front room brighter and more inviting.

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Museum renovations are under way