Van Buren County applying for a $60,300 grant to replace the roof and install new gutters at the Van Buren County Historical and Heritage Museum to prevent ongoing water damage.
Van Buren County Historical and Heritage Museum Representative Justin Aughinbaugh said the proposed work is vital after masonry work was completed with the last grant.
“So this year, we’re building on that with a second phase of getting the roof fixed, because we’ve got water coming in through one of the chimneys ’cause the flashing is bad,” Aughinbaugh said, “And the whole roof, I think David Cook said, is about 30 years old.”
Aughinbaugh said the grant program offers awards ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 and does not require the county to provide matching funds. Aughinbaugh said the museum sought several different price quotes to ensure the project could proceed even if the full amount is not granted.
“But this year, we’ve got a lot more intentional with the estimate we got,” Aughinbaugh said. “So, you know, like I said, we’ve got three different… If we didn’t get awarded the full 60,000, we got an estimate to fall back on for like 38,000, you know, for just regular 29-gauge roofing.”
Aughinbaugh said the museum previously utilized grant funding for other building upgrades, though the county had to provide additional money to finish HVAC repairs.
“And next year, we got a 3rd phase in which we’re gonna go after full ceiling replacement in there because there’s a lot of damaged tiles,” Aughinbaugh said.
Aughinbaugh said the roof replacement is a necessary step before the museum can address interior damage.
The Van Buren County Commission voted unanimously to move forward with the grant application process.
