The Donner Reed Museum will receive needed repairs to its crumbling northern wall but the broader future of the historic adobe structure remains undecided.
The Granstville City Council voted unanimously to obtain additional bids for restoration work on the museum’s north wall and move ahead with the $48,000 in city funds and grant money earmarked for repairs during its meeting Wednesday night.
The scope of work outlined by John Lambert of Abstract Masonry Restoration during the council’s work session on Sept. 7 would include replacing crumbling adobe brick with cinder blocks along a portion of the north wall, then redoing the stucco exterior and repainting the exterior.
The museum building, which is more than 150 years old, is operated by the Twenty Wells Chapter of the Sons of the Utah Pioneers. During its long history, the building served as a schoolhouse, City Hall and an automobile repair shop when Clark Street was still the Lincoln Highway.
The north wall of the building is bulging outward and marred by thick cracks in the stucco that overlays the adobe underneath. Lambert told the council he believes moisture has leaked into the walls and undermined the base of the wall, causing the bulge.
Grantsville residents Susan Johnsen and Craig Anderson, as well as Twenty Wells SUP President Steve Allred, spoke in favor of preserving the building.
Johnsen, who is the vice-president of the Friends of Clark Historic Farm, said she understood that historic preservation can be difficult work, but said there is funding and grant monies that could be put to restoring the structure.
“I know it boils down to money in some of your minds, but the ultimate deciding factor should be, ‘Is this building worth saving?’” she said. “And I think your answer is definitely (yes).”
Anderson, a docent at the Donner Reed Museum, said the loss of historic buildings is always lamented, such as the Grantsville opera house.
“I think if we lose this building, we would lament it for many, many years,” he said.
Grantsville City Attorney Joel Linares said Grantsville City Mayor Brent Marshall had contacted state Rep. Doug Sagers about state funding to restore the museum, which they believe may be among the oldest buildings in Utah. Sagers met with Gov. Gary Herbert about securing funds for the museum, according to Linares.
Councilman Neil Critchlow said he would like to look into building a museum around the adobe structure, where the building and artifacts would be protected from the elements. The old museum building could then be restored as a replica one-room schoolhouse, he said.
“I’d really feel like we need to save that building,” Critchlow said. “But I also feel like we need to make a museum area for the artifacts so the people don’t have to go inside the building.”
Councilman Mike Colson said he liked the idea of protecting the building and artifacts, from the heating and freezing cycle they currently endure. The museum artifacts are being housed in shipping containers on the museum property.
“For long term preservation, that would be the best if you could keep it temperature controlled,” he said.
Councilwoman Jewel Allen said she was concerned a new structure built around the museum would change the character of the street. The Donner Reed museum is near a number of historic buildings, including the old First Ward Church.