The exterior of the Lemont Historical Museum has been spruced up, thanks to a $25,000 grant from the village to the Lemont Historical Society for tuckpointing.
“It was in pretty bad condition,” said Barbara Buschman of Lemont. “Through the years, the mortar has worn away. In its 130-year history, I don’t think it has ever been tuckpointed.” Buschman is on a committee that is spearheading renovation of the museum.
The structure was built in 1861 as a Methodist church and became a museum in 1970. It houses collections and exhibits related to village history.
The limestone used in its construction is connected to the village’s history. The pale yellow rock was extracted from quarries in Lemont.
“It was built of the tailings,” said P.J. Fitzgerald, a member of the Historical Society. “Those were basically pieces of limestone that were left over. Volunteers carefully fit every piece of the rubble together.”
Fitzgerald said there are many other renovation projects the Historical Society wants to undertake.
Stained glass windows, for instance, are next on the list of areas that need attention.
“Gravity, time and oxidation have not been kind to the stained glass windows,” she said. “They’re beginning to bow, and we’ve lost a couple of panes.”
The Historical Society recently completed renovating the interior of the building. For the first time, a wedding was held at the museum last month.
The Historical Society decided to allow rental of the museum to help pay for its operation and upkeep. The building accommodates 120 people and can be rented for $350.
Buschman said the crumbling mortar on the building’s exterior needed to be fixed or the collections and artifacts inside could have been in jeopardy.
“You have to preserve the building so you can keep the history,” she said.
The Historical Society is accepting donations to help renovate the museum. They should be sent to the society, P.O. Box 126, Lemont, IL 60439.
