The Morrow County Historical Society received a generous donation of the former First Knox National Bank building located at 17 West High Street in Mt. Gilead.
At the time the building was donated it was with the understanding that they could either sell the building or use the proceeds to build a new building behind the current Cross House Museum located at 85 W. Marion St. behind Snyder Funeral Home, or they could use the former bank building for a new museum.
After several months of discussion and no reasonable offers for the purchase of the building, it was decided to turn the former bank building into a new museum.
Volunteers have been working steadily for many weeks cleaning, painting, repairing and preparing the museum to open.
While the museum is not yet fully ready to be open on a regular basis, the Morrow County Historical Society will have the building open during the Sweet Corn Festival this weekend.
Admission during the Sweet Corn Festival will be free and is open to the public. Hours for the former bank museum will be Friday from 5 pm to 8 pm and Saturday from 11am to 8 pm. The Cross House Museum will be open on Saturday only from 11 am to 4 pm. Donations will be accepted and appreciated.
The MCHS is working on fund raising as well as applying for grants.
Immediate needs for the museum are assistance with the monthly utility costs and a furnace to replace the old boiler which has been removed. Donations can be made to the Morrow County Historical Society at PO Box 21, Mt. Gilead, Oh. 43338. The address will be changing to the 17 W. High St. address in the near future.
Suggestions for naming the new museum will be accepted during the festival.
Those interested can tour the building and see the progress being made inside.
At least one display will be completed by the weekend. The RumRill pottery display, which was formerly housed at the Cross House Museum, has been moved to the new bank museum.
RumRill pottery was manufactured at the former Florence Pottery Factory which was located along the T & OC railroad tracks near Douglas Street in Mt. Gilead. It was destroyed by fire on October 16, 1941 and was not rebuilt. A full story on the Florence Pottery Factory and RumRill Pottery will be featured in the Sentinel at a later date.
Reach Donna Carver at 419-946-3010, ext. 1804 or on Twitter @MorrCoSentinel.
