Winfield Historical Society to host luminary walk

WINFIELD — Winfield Historical Society and Museum will host a Holiday Open House and Luminary Stroll Dec. 17 from 5-7 p.m.

The museum invites community members to tour their current museum in the masonic temple, and then stroll through luminaries to visit the future sight of the museum once renovations come to completion.

According to the Historical Society President Judy Rawson, the new building is over 100 years old and simply “one worth saving.”

The new building is what locals have commonly called the “L.L. Elliot Building.”

“[The building] has been a lot of things over 100 years, more recently, it was a laundromat,” Rawson said.

Being a historical society, they have cataloged a decent amount of the building’s history.

According to the Historical Society, Morris Pusey built the to-be new location for the museum in 1907.

In 1909, Larson and Peterson owned it and L.L. Elliot owned it more than 30 years.

In 1951, Earl Kellogg owned the building, and in 1961 Ivan Lee purchased it. In 1979 John and Lois Welch bought the building. Jack Nelling owned it after that.

With grant money from Ivan Lee’s grandson, the society began phase one of renovations. Phase two fundraising and execution gains momentum with a $5,000 grant from the Enrich Henry County Foundation.

“We’re excited for the new building,” Rawson said. “We are gearing up for phase two which is inside the building renovations.”

“There is a lot of work to do,” she said. “There is even a hole is part of the floor from a car falling through.”

The Historical Society and Museum welcome donations. They will benefit the renovation projects for the new building.

Other donations sought by the Historical Society and Museum include: old cameras, candlestick and wood wall mounted phones, vintage clothing from 1950s or older, old eyeglasses, old photos and post cards, scrapbooks, and vintage Christmas items.

The museum is currently open every Monday year-round from 10 a.m.-noon, but Rawson encourages interested individuals to reach out to city hall if they’d like to visit at a different time.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com