The Lorain Historical Society has received a $19,250 grant from the Ohio History Connection to make upgrades to the Moore House, 309 W. Fifth St., for programming and collection storage, according to Lorain Historical Society receives $19K grant from Ohio History Connection, curator and senior collections manager for the Lorain Historical Society.
The check was presented March 20 by Ohio History Fund and outreach manager Andy Verhoff, who said a panel of judges who admired the plans for the use of the Moore House, awarded the grant.
“This organization is going to do innovative things with the grant money,” Verhoff said. “They’re going to take this historic house and they’re going to preserve it, no question about that, but they’re going to put it to a different use.”
Donaldson said the Historical Society has owned the Moore House since the 1990s, and COVID 19 prompted the closure of the building.
Over the last few years, open houses have taken place at the site as exhibits have remained that showcased the historic home, she said.
“It (the grant) just ties in with our strategic plan that we have going on to just reimagine the use of this Moore House,” Donaldson said. “This grant is really going to help us just kind of complete the package of being a top-of-the-line storage facility for our storage collection, and a really welcoming and engaging place for programming.”
The two-year grant will allow the Historical Society to — in the first year — purchase collection storage material, preservation material, chairs and display cases for artifacts, according to Donaldson.
The second year will allow for the purchase of a touch-screen display board for the Moore House to be used as a gathering place for events, meetings or other programs, she said.
“What excites me the most is having people come in, having the community come in and be part of what we’re trying to do,” said Lorain Historical Society collections manager Jen Neuhaus, who helped Donaldson in the grant application process.
Donaldson said she looks forward to inviting the community this summer to the Moore House for programming that is going to kind of fall in line with this grant, and getting people back into the historic facility.
The Moore House will be open for guests during the Second Saturday series in downtown Lorain, which runs from June through September, Donaldson said.
“With this grant and what the Historical Society is doing with re-envisioning the use of this house, it’s just going to help the people and the city of Lorain,” said Lorain Ward Two Councilwoman Victoria Kempton. “Keeping things fresh, while holding onto our history, is a delicate balance that I think the Historical Society has done very well.”
For more information, visit www.lorainhistory.org or call 440-245-2563.
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