‘What Is $2 Million Between Friends?’

[By Gerry Smith, Executive Director, Tioga County Historical Society]

There is a new sign on the lawn at 110 Front St. in Owego. The home of the Tioga County Historical Society’s museum still has its current green sign announcing the hours for the museum. No, this sign is a large white sign that faces Front Street. It announces that the Tioga County Historical Society has begun a $2.2 million capital campaign.

The campaign is to raise the funds to put two two-story additions on either side of the building and a two-story addition replacing the old balcony and well area where the current fire doors are located. This is basically the same D.R.I. plan suggested five years ago, but the money for the matching portion of the grant failed to be found.  

This will allow the museum’s collections to be moved to the Upper Level and placed on movable shelving well above the September 2011 flood level that devastated the collections and the research center. It follows the strong recommendation from both FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers, after five feet of water poured into the Lower Level and sat for three days before work to rescue the items could even begin. Fifteen years later, we are still cleaning flood mud off objects and trying to determine what floated away.

The event has driven this museum to find a solution, and without other assistance from the federal government, the board chose to find its own funds. In those five years, construction costs have risen, as has the cost for things like shelving, carpeting, and replacing our current three-boiler system with a split heat pump system that will reduce operating costs and provide air conditioning for the building.

The additions will use matching brick to the current building; they will not alter the building’s footprint. The existing windows will be moved out in the same configurations, but most will be faux windows, as there will be no real natural light with UV rays coming into the collections area. The current rear door will be rotated to face east, as that was a source of floodwaters pouring into the building.

A new fire-coded staircase will be added, and solar panels will be installed on the three sections of flat roof that face south. They will not be visible from the ground and will bring the museum closer to being a green building. While we live by preserving the past, it does not mean that we must live in the past, and lowering utility costs is instrumental to maintaining our budget.

While the cost of the projects seems daunting (and it is), we started out with about $32,000 for a building fund. We are very honored to announce that in a few weeks we will be receiving a check for $1 million from Les Wagner of Wagner Lumber. This will bring us to nearly 50% of our goal, and we are seeking other funds for the remainder of the campaign.  

This battle is not ours alone; it is a campaign aimed at all residents of Tioga County that will allow us to preserve and protect the history and heritage of the entire county for future generations. Once our total is reached, it will take about 10 months to complete the construction project.

All donations are tax-deductible. If anyone wishes to donate to this fund or has questions about the project, feel free to contact me at (607) 687-2460 or director@tiogahistory.org.