By Karen Blackledge
The Daily Item
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DANVILLE — A room or two of the former Danville Elks building could be open as a museum as early as next summer.
The Montour County Historical Society purchased the building at 5 Bloom St. for about $145,000 on Sept. 2, according to society President Lynn Reichen.
The society plans to use the building, adjacent to the Montgomery House Museum, as a mining and manufacturing museum, a children’s museum and a community room for speakers. The large building will enable the society to expand its exhibition and storage space and provide meeting facilities for presentations and community events.
The society previously announced it planned to buy the building.
“We needed room to expand,” Reichen said.
The three-story building was constructed in the early 1880s and purchased by the Elks in 1923. In 1999, the Elks built and moved to new headquarters along Route 11.
“The building has had several owners but now needs some attention to bring it back to its glory,” Reichen said.
“It’s a huge project, but it is really worthwhile,” said board member Gene Shipe.
Reichen said the society was able to buy the building from Brad Buch, of Northumberland County, with money it had. “We have been fortunate with bequests and donations,” she said.
The society will be looking for funds from grants for the renovations, which have not been estimated. “We will have to renovate the whole building,” she said.
They will first stabilize the roofs and then work on the windows.
The building will be known as the Boyd House because it was built by Daniel Montgomery Boyd, grandson of Daniel Montgomery and great-grandson of William Montgomery, founder of Danville.
There is no time line yet for the renovations. Board member Bob McWilliams is serving as project manager with help from George Gehrig, Gene Shipe and Bill Zamboni.
Reichen said the building is sound and stable.
The structure contains a lot of ornate woodwork as well as marble mantles. The society will need to put in a heating system for the winter.
Board member Sis Hause said cleanup by Bill Zamboni already has made the building “look spectacular.”
“As soon as the front porch is cleaned up, I want to have rocking chairs there,” said Hause, recalling old gentlemen from the Elks who used to sit there.
The first floor includes a large dining room and bar area and a kitchen. The second floor was the site of many class reunions with a stage and dance floor. The basement has a bowling alley.
“The board is very excited about this new museum, and having it next door to the Montgomery House is a great plus. There was no way to add onto the Montgomery House. We owned only the footprint of the house — no parking or room to grow,” Reichen said.
“We do know it will take a lot of hard work and money to get the building in shape. It won’t be an overnight renovation or even one of a few years,” she said.
During the next year, she said the society hopes to get a few rooms ready and start preparing collection displays so the house can be opened to the public. The board has talked about adding a children’s museum, an office, a conference/meeting room and the mining and manufacturing museum.
Paperwork has already been started to place the Boyd House on the National Historic Register.
A committee will organize and plan capital campaigns not only for funds bus also for memberships.
“We are asking for volunteers to help with the renovations, such as cleaning, scraping and painting,” she said. Assistance also will be needed with plumbing and electrical work.
“There is much to do, and we know the generous people of Montour County will be willing to help us every way they can. The citizens of our area are proud of their heritage and will do everything to support the society in this endeavor,” she said.
The building was used as a home until 1920. Through the years, the Elks added a two-story structure and made renovations in 1950 and 1960.
The society operates two museums: the one-room schoolhouse at Mooresburg and the Montgomery House at 1 Bloom St. Eighteen years ago, the society purchased the building next to the Montgomery House for use as a museum. Both buildings are filled to capacity.
Reichen said the society has been collecting items to open a mining and manufacturing museum to showcase the county’s iron heritage and items manufactured by other industries that were once in the county.
“Purchasing the Boyd House has not only brought this museum closer to becoming a reality, it has rescued one of Danville’s historic buildings,” she said.
St. Joseph Church previously proposed to buy the former Elks and raze it, but the Borough Council voted against the plan.
Reichen said people can support the society by buying memberships at $15 for an individual, $25 for a family or $300 for a lifetime membership. Memberships may be obtained by writing to the society at P.O. Box 8, Danville.
Anyone interested in volunteering may contact a board member. Besides Reichen, they are Vice President Sue Tinsley, Secretary Jean Hummel, Treasurer George Wagner, George Gehrig, John Becker, Sis Hause, Bob McWilliams, John Rodman, Gene Shipe and Dianne Zamboni.
-- E-mail comments to kblackledge@dailyitem.com.
