The Society’s journey to expand our space began in June 2014. The Society’s original building at 110 E. Main had at one time been interconnected to 108 E. Main, the site of the addition next door known as the “Crescent Building.” The renovation to once again reunite the two buildings was needed to expand the Society’s facilities and to better serve the community with an area for meetings of clubs or groups, as well as seminars and workshops on genealogical research.

 

The cost of the "new" building was set at $50,000. To help pay for the cost and renovations of the new building, the “Crescent Club” project was formed October 7, 2015, by the FCGS Board of Directors, offering memberships to the first 50 individuals or families to donate $1,000 to the Building Fund since the date of the Club’s inception. In less than a year, the Franklin County Genealogical Society had passed the halfway mark of attaining its goal.

 

The Crescent Building officially opened in April 2018. The Society held its first seminar in the new space in July 2018. The building addition has three parts to it: The front part is for meetings, the middle part contains archives, and the back part is for storage. 

 

Enjoy the gallery below of photos documenting the Crescent Club membership drive and the renovations of the FCGS Crescent Building addition. Photos are organized by date, providing a visual timeline of the project.

Short History of Our New Addition

Our new website and our new addition to our property happened within days of each other in June 2014!  The building at 108 E. Main had at one time been interconnected to 110 E. Main, our original building.  The cost of the "new" building was set at $50,000 with a 5-year balloon payment at 4.25% interest.

The Certificate of Corporate Resolution was signed on 9 June 2014 by Secretary Phyllis Brown at B.F. Hicks' office.  The paperwork for purchasing the building was signed on 10 Jun 2014 by President Martha Hare and Treasurer Veronica Jordan.

The building has three parts to it.  The front is for meetings, the middle contains archives, and the back is for storage.  The original oak flooring was taken out, new plywood put down and covered with vinyl strips to look like wood.

December 2014 fence put around back of building

Craig Coggins of Mineola received the bid to take down back wall, Feb 2015

photo # 2--back of building finished

20 Apr 2015 work started on back wall

4 May 2015  more bricks ordered to finish (notice top part is different)

18 May 99% finished

photo #3--inside front of building with walls taken down

building gutted before ceiling taken down

1 Jul 2015 found asbestos in top ceiling, asbestos abatement started 22 Feb 2016

  and finished 2 Mar 2016    consultant cost $2280, contractor $9000

photo #4--working on roof support, scaffolding all the length of building 

4 May 2016 roof supports started   2 piers at front and 3 piers down middle of

  the room to back wall 

7 Sep 2016  paid $20,000   

21 Nov 2016  piers poured 

4 Jan 2017  beams and screws installed plus wall studs on each side

photo #5--ceiling view with AC/heating ducts showing

 20 Mar 2017  one inside wall is up and C & S (Charles and Saundra Dunn's company)

 installed AC equipment at cost 

15 May AC roughed in and electricity being completed

bids for sheetrock

photo #6--ceiling photo for meeting room in front  (tiles donated by Veronica & Billy Jordan)

7 Jan 2017  grid work up for ceiling     lights and vents installed

photo #7--concrete block wall between buildings taken down, rubble everywhere 

(my favorite photo)  19 Jun 2017  concrete wall being taken down

5 Jul 2017  concrete poured into floor space between rooms for fire safety

  then concrete block wall rebuilt between buildings

photo #8--Wayne Bryan, Saundra & Charles Dunn placing flooring over wood floor

(flooring donated by Lowe's)  17 Jul 2017   flooring started

photo #9--Wayne and Linda Bryan painting wall before flooring added

3 May 2017  holes have been patched in floor and most of plywood flooring

  is done/heating and AC in place/electrical worked on 

16 Oct 2017  front room sheetrock nailed up and painted

photo #10--the front wall looking out on Main Street with new door and windows

Craig Coggins and Co. installed the new windows and front door at 108 E. Main St.

16 Oct sheetrock finished and painted; Helen Jones thanked for clearing old paint

off Metzger columns in front of building.

1 Nov 2017  Landmark Committee approved our new door.  Lowe's paid for the door and

FCGS paid for the installation.  (Linda & Wayne Bryan donated new projector for the

meeting room as a Christmas gift.)

photo #11--fixing the front of the building/scaffolding up

photo #12--front of "new" building on the right

"fake" windows are about to be put in the top uncovered space to look more

like the original building did.  The windows cannot be seen inside the room; they 

are above the ceiling.

photo #13--color photo for the dedication

16 April 2018--photo taken in front of 108 E. Main St.

photo from Mount Vernon Optic-Herald 19 Apr 2018, p. 10-A

article sent is from 12 Apr 2018 p. 3A