Carnegie museum stairs under construction

FAIRFIELD — Construction is underway to replace the concrete steps on the east side of the Carnegie Historical Museum in Fairfield.

The general contractor on the project is Schaus-Vorhies Contracting of Fairfield. Construction on the steps began a few weeks ago, but has been slowed due to frequent rains, according to Carnegie Historical Museum Foundation board Chair Gloria Countryman.

Countryman said replacing the steps and bringing the railings up to code will cost about $57,000, and is the first in a series of three construction projects planned for the museum. The second project involves tuckpointing the bricks and replacing any that are damaged. The third involves rehabilitating the southwest corner of the building.

The second project is expected to cost about $350,000, and Countryman said there is no timeline for it since the museum still is searching for matching grants. The foundation is paying for these projects through its own reserves plus money from local-option sales tax and a grant from the Greater Jefferson County Foundation. The three projects combined are expected to cost between $800,000 and $900,000.

The museum foundation is working with Pathfinders Resource Conservation & Development to acquire grants. The foundation supplies information to Pathfinders, which then writes the grant applications.

“The foundation can’t fund all this alone,” Countryman said. “We need grants and people willing to donate.”

The museum shares its building at 114 S. Court St. with Indian Hills Community College, which rents space from the city of Fairfield, the building’s owner. The ground floor is divided between the two entities, with the museum having exhibits in some rooms and the college using other rooms for classes, while the college uses all of the second floor and the museum uses all of the third floor.

Countryman said Indian Hills has been an “excellent tenant.” The museum is installing a new sign, and the college is paying for half the cost.

These changes to the exterior of the museum are occurring just after the museum board made major upgrades to the inside. Earlier this year, the museum replaced its elevator. It rearranged and added exhibits on the third floor, which included murals courtesy of local artists Kathy Tollenaere and John Preston.

Countryman said it’s important to make continual upgrades to the building to avoid problems down the road. The building is one of the treasures of Fairfield and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1892, the building was the first Carnegie library west of the Mississippi River.

“We want to maintain the building to keep it going another 125 years,” Countryman said.