The Western Illinois Museum in downtown Macomb has made some improvements to the eastern part of its building by installing a new floor and an updated electrical system.
Director Sue Scott said the new floor is part of a multi-year initiative. She’s grateful for volunteers who moved things multiple times to make the project possible.
This section of the museum was originally a commercial garage.
“The old garage as we affectionately call it is now becoming an expanded exhibit area,” she said.
In addition, the museum has received funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to move the “Our Front Porch” performance stage. It’s currently in the west part of the museum’s facility, but will be rebuilt in the east part.
The “old garage” dates back to 1941.
“You’ve got these beautiful wooden bow trusses, and these big, sort of typical warehouse windows of that time” Scott said.
“And that was the original floor. It had a lot of character. In some ways I was sad to see it go. But the drains were cracking and there were a lot of holes. So this (the renovation) is ADA-compliant and much safer.”
And even though the old floor is gone, Scott said the building still has a lot of its old character.
“We’ve got the old loft still and the steel beams and the brick work, and we’re hoping to keep some of those things as a reminder of its past history,” she said.
The old garage’s high ceilings will allow the museum to display agricultural equipment that wouldn’t fit in the other part of the building.
The new concrete floor and electrical conduits cost $155,000. The work was paid for through fundraising along with support from a local foundation and McDonough Power Cooperative.
Scott said the museum also received around $68,000 from out of state, and “a big chunk of it” came from outside Macomb.
She hired local contractors to do the work.
“This project is a way for us to improve the building, keep it vibrant, provide a place for people to come and enjoy the humanities, and support our local businesses at the same time,” Scott said, adding that the out-of-state donations came from people who have a connection to the region and want to preserve its history.
The museum has already replaced the old garage’s windows. The next phase of improvements is to install a new HVAC system so that the building can be used year-round.
Once that’s done, Scott will turn her attention to the west section of the museum. Plans call for upgrading the geological libraries area and reconfiguring some of the walkways to make it a little more visitor-friendly.
Scott said they’ve also received a grant from the Illinois Arts Council to hire a consultant to address the lot to the south of the museum building.
She said the museum is in the process of working with an engineering firm, landscape designer, and architect to re-envision that space.
“We perceive it as a cultural corridor. You’ve got the library to the south of us. You’ve got a great park that the park district has now taken over. And you can walk right through here to access the downtown area. So, there’s a lot of potential here,” Scott said.
She thinks the grant will help them achieve that potential within the next few years.
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