History finds a home in Grundy Center

By: 
Michaela Kendall

Local Historical Society, Preservation Commission move into downtown building
GRUNDY CENTER – Since their inception, it was always the goal of both the Grundy Center Historical Society and the Grundy Center Historical Preservation Commission to find a place to call home. Now, with a little collaborative effort, that dream has been made a reality, and history finally has a permanent home in Grundy Center.
 
On May 1, both organizations began moving into the north side of the Community Title building on 7th Street in downtown Grundy Center; the building they will now share and call home.
 
“We’re very excited about the potential; this building gives new energy to our groups knowing that we have a place and an identity now,” said Mary Doak, a longtime member of both the Historical Society and the Preservation Commission.
 
For years, the groups met where they could, either at members homes or in public meeting rooms when they were available, and the Society’s main event – the Pop Up Museum – was hosted once a year at the Felix Grundy Festival in an empty downtown building.
 
Now that they have a space to call their own, the groups are looking forward to the possibilities and what they can provide to the community.
 
The Historical Society’s annual Pop Up Museum will be hosted at the group’s new building during this year’s Felix Grundy Festival in July.
 
The theme for this year’s Pop Up Museum is “Rural School Houses” and will tell the story of rural school houses in Grundy County’s past; complete with photos, a video, and other memorabilia. The Society is currently looking for photos, information and other materials from community members to share at the museum.
 
“The Herbert Quick School House is one of the main attractions in Grundy Center, so we really want to grow that and supplement it with our exhibit,” Doak said.
 
Aside from that, Doak says the group is hoping to put together different exhibits throughout the year. Right now, the group has their sights set on obtaining a virtual kiosk for exhibits similar to those in many larger museums.
 
The kiosk, which would have audio and visual capabilities, would provide community members with a more digital, interactive learning experience and it could be used for almost any kind of exhibit to tell the story of a person, place or event in Grundy Center history.
 
For the full story, see this week's Grundy Register. Subscribe by calling (319) 824-6958 or clicking here. 

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