Madison Historical Society is sponsoring an event to raise funds for a lift that will make all of its building accessible to visitors with disabilities.
Lift us Up will take place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. July 12 at Standing Rock Farms in Madison Township. The celebration consists of a dinner with entertainment and other activities at the working farm and special event and wedding venue at 7394 and 7497 Ross Road.
Money raised at the event will be used to purchase and install a powered lifting device in the society’s headquarters and museum at 126 W. Main St. in Madison Village.
The society wants to add the lift so people with disabilities have access to both levels of the building.
A large portion of Standing Rock Farms — on the north side of Ross Road — is located on property that previously served as Boy Scout Camp Stigwandish. One of the buildings in the northern section of Standing Rock Farms is the Barrel Room Event Center, where the Madison Historical Society’s event will take place.
From 5:30 to 9 p.m., guests can listen to bluegrass music performed by Young and Blue, and participate in a wine pull and raffle of prize baskets. History enthusiasts also are invited to tour the Camp Stigwandish Museum, which is situated near the Barrel Room.
At 6:30, a buffet dinner will be served. Tickets are $45 and entitle each guest to a meal, dessert, two glasses of wine, coffee and soft drinks.
To purchasing tickets:
• Call Madison Historical Society at 440-417-1959, or email madisonohiohistoricalsociety@gmail.com
• Visit the society’s museum and headquarters at 126 W. Main St. between 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. Or schedule an appointment for a different day and time.
Another option is to mail a check for tickets to Madison Historical Society, P.O. Box 515, Madison, OH 44057. Reservations will be held at the door during the event.
The building that houses the historical society originally was constructed in 1919 as a public library with funding providing by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
“After the Madison Public Library moved to its present location, Madison Village used the building for administration and the police department,” said President Cheryl Swackhamer.
The organization was able to purchase the building from Madison Village in 2020 for just $53 — $10 for the structure and $43 worth of closing costs. Madison vacated the building the previous month after renovating the former Stratton Place community center to use as its new Village Hall and Police Department.
Since moving into 126 W. Main St. nearly four years ago, the society has been using the upper level of the building for its museum and administrative office.
But the society did not immediately use the lower level of the building because it needed extensive renovations. The society recently completed those upgrades, which turned out to be nearly a two-year project.
“This involved demolition, plumbing, wiring, inspections and permits, getting bids, dealing with contractors, and whatever setbacks from unforeseen issues,” Swackhamer said.
Renovations to the lower level included a new floor and ceiling; new drywall and insulation; a new ADA compliant restroom and freshly painted walls.
The society plans to use the lower level as its main museum. Currently, historical artifacts are displayed only in a smaller space on the upper level.
However, even after the larger museum opens, some additional historical items might still be exhibited upstairs, Swackhamer said.
Ideally, though, the society would like to use the upper level mostly as a space for programs, meetings and research.
The lower level of the society building offers an entrance that is at ground level, from a rear parking lot, unlike the front entrance to the upper level, which requires climbing a flight of outdoor steps.
Once the society is ready to open its larger museum on the lower level, it would like to ensure that people with disabilities or other mobility issues also can reach the building’s upper level.
Swackhamer said she’s hoping that the powered lift can bought and put into operation as soon as possible.
“The cost of just purchasing and installing a lift is around $20,000 at this time,” she said. “As we have learned, time passing and inflation will increase these costs.”
Swackhamer has high hopes that Lift us Up will be a successful fundraiser.
