Newly restored Bannock County Historical Museum is open to the public

POCATELLO — An eastbound Idaho depository will proceed to shop historical artifacts acknowledgment to nan restoration of its building.

The Bannock County Historical Museum received repairs and underwent a remodel owed to nan aging value of nan building. Arlen Walker, president of nan Bannock County Historical Society, is thankful that nary of nan artifacts received h2o harm from nan antecedently leaky roof.

“(The contractor) really did a beautiful occupation connected nan restoration,” Walker said.

Before nan restoration, h2o was leaking down nan walls of nan museum. In bid to hole this, nan tile had to beryllium remodeled and repaired during nan summertime of 2022.

The caller tile connected nan museum. | Logan Ramsey, EastIdahoNews.com

Originally, nan tile was made retired of metallic sheets and had a ample skylight complete nan museum’s gallery. Because of that skylight and nan perspective of nan roof, rainfall and snowfall wasn’t draining disconnected properly, and crystal was splitting nan metallic isolated successful nan sheet joints.

“I don’t deliberation immoderate corners were deliberately cut, but location were immoderate mediocre decisions made, for illustration skylights,” Walker said of nan building’s original construction.

As much leaks formed, h2o dripped down nan walls successful sections of nan museum. Luckily, nary of nan artifacts were damaged earlier nan renewal began.

In nan remodel, nan humanities nine had nan skylights removed and replaced pinch indirect lighting.

The caller indirect lighting successful nan museum. | Logan Ramsey, EastIdahoNews.com

Despite nan activity being done, nary of nan artifacts had to beryllium moved retired of nan depository during nan process.

“It would person taken semis and a unit of hundreds to move and protect each of these artifacts,” Walker said.

Rather past spell done that process, nan artifacts were protected by being covered successful plastic. The sections that hadn’t received h2o harm were wholly sectioned off, and nan artifacts straight successful harm’s measurement were moved to different portion of nan museum.

Once nan main privilege of fixing nan leaky tile was completed, nan humanities nine was capable to move connected to reside nan h2o damage. This was done arsenic 2 abstracted projects. The astir caller renewal worked started successful December 2023 and was completed successful April.

While astir of nan activity done successful these months was cosmetic repairs, nan humanities nine had a wall successful nan assemblage wholly removed. Walker said that astatine immoderate constituent they scheme to region different conception of wall successful nan assemblage to make nan building much visitant friendly.

Where nan wall successful nan assemblage was removed. | Logan Ramsey, EastIdahoNews.com

“When you locomotion past nan restrooms down towards nan shape coach, it won’t beryllium for illustration you’re successful it for nan agelong haul. It’ll beryllium much open,” Walker said.

He said that this will let nan humanities nine much opportunity to alteration what artifacts are connected display, giving nan depository a much “vibrant” feeling.

“It (won’t be) for illustration you spell 1 time, and you tin spell 5 years later and it’s precisely nan aforesaid — which was benignant of nan business we were stranded in,” Walker said.

Since nan depository restoration was complete, nan number of group visiting has increased, Walker said. They’ve seen much visitors coming to visit, arsenic good arsenic schoolhouse groups from farther distant for illustration successful Burley and Idaho Falls.

Walker hopes that much group will travel to sojourn nan depository and study much astir nan 200-year history it covers.

“People person a really bully chance to study astir nan history of nan county,” Walker said.