Wind Plays Halloween Trick At Museum

November 16, 2019 at 3:47 AM

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A worker from Sekula Signs works to remove the awning from the roof. More photos follow the story. 

          Trick or treat proved to be a big trick for the DuBois Area Historical Society’s E. D. Reitz Museum.

            Just hours after several members of the Society’s board distributed treats to children during the City of DuBois Halloween activities, an unexpected trick was played.

            The high winds that struck the area caught the awning covering the front of two of the Society’s three buildings. Tearing the awning and its support framework from the building, the wind then deposited the awning on the roof of the Society’s main entrance building at 30 W. Long Ave.

            On the roof, the awning became tangled with the on-roof furnace for the building ripping it from the roof, leaving a nearly five-foot long opening. The furnace was forced downward punching another hole in the roof. The gas line to the furnace was dislodged resulting in a visit from the fire department. The damage left the 30 W. Long Ave. building without heat for a day.

            The furnace was only 21-months old, being installed on January 23, 2018, at a cost of $8,000. The awning was installed on the building in 2011; it’s estimated replacement cost is $11,000. There was also damage to the roof. The roofs on all three buildings were replaced in late 2017 at a cost of $35,000.

            Insurance is expected to cover some of the repair costs, once deductibles are paid. Anyone interested in making a donation to the Society to offset any non-insurance covered expenses will be appreciated. The DuBois Area Historical Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with an EIN ID:251537426. Donations are tax deductible and may be sent to P.O. Box 401, DuBois, Pa. 15801. Telephone 814-371-9006 with questions or for additional information.

            The DuBois Area Historical Society receives no local, state, or federal funding. It relies on fund-raising projects, membership dues, grants, and donations to support its endeavors. The Society has no employees; volunteers coordinate all of its activities.

Heat Project Update

           The heat is now on in the back section of the DuBois Area Historical Society’s E. D. Reitz Museum at 30 W. Long Ave. In September a new heat unit and insulation was installed by Bloom Electric in the unheated back section of that portion of the museum.

           Half of the original project goal is reached. Preparations will now commence to turn the area into useable display space for the ever-expanding museum collection. 

          The Society failed to receive the applied for grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The Society was not selected from numerous applications, for a limited amount of money, to receive funding this year. However, the local fundraising match drive with a goal of $7,500 is currently at 85 percent of the total. Those generous donations allowed part of the project to proceed.

         Any donated money remaining will be used for preparation work for heat installation in the museum building at 28 W. Long Ave.

         Donations are still being accepted to help complete this project. The DuBois Area Historical Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with an EIN ID:251537426. Donations are tax deductible and may be sent to P.O. Box 401, DuBois, Pa. 15801.

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