Money from two grants and $34,000 in donations will allow the Cook County Historical Society (CCHS) to accomplish several items on their wish list, said CCHS director Carrie McHugh to the Cook County commissioners on January 28, 2014 at their regular board meeting.
McHugh reported that in December 2013 CCHS received a Minnesota Historical Society Legacy Grant and funds from that grant were used to hire Drew Johnson to catalog the contents of both the 1911 Bally Blacksmith Shop and the CCHS museum.
Johnson is also a blacksmith, noted McHugh.
“Right now he’s learning the [cataloging] software and when it warms up he can get in there,” said McHugh, adding that both buildings are, “full of treasures and other items.”
“The second grant we will be receiving is a matching grant from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) in the amount of $20,000,” McHugh said, adding that the CCHS will use $20,000 from the $34,000 in donations for its share of the matching funds.
The IRRRB grant will be used to stabilize the building. Some of that work will include fixing the roof, replacing the electrical system and possibly fixing or replacing the chimney, said McHugh. Some minimal landscaping will also be done, with trees that encroach on the roof removed and some minor grading of property that lies in the flood zone.
At some point, said McHugh, “We want to open it up to the public, but the first step is to stabilize it.”
To make sure the work is done correctly, McHugh said, “We are looking for a project manager with a background in historical building restoration.”
Ads have already been placed for the position, McHugh said.
The Bally Blacksmith Shop is on the National Register of Historical places and is one of only two remaining shops of its kind left in the state of Minnesota. It is owned by Cook County and will be managed by the Cook County Historical Society.
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