Lombard Historical Society pays off loan for Carriage House

For once, Lombard Historical Society leaders aren't looking to the past.

Earlier this month, they presented a check to the village board, paying off a nearly $202,000 loan that allowed for the expansion of the Carriage House behind the Victorian Cottage Museum at 23 W. Maple St.

"It's a great story of how a public and private partnership can work," said Lombard Historical Society Executive Director Sarah Richardt. "We're doing it well and we're doing it without costing taxpayers more money. We all have the same goal, to make Lombard a better place."

Richardt said the project, which was completed in 2012, doubled the size of the building, made it handicap-accessible, added stairs to archival space on the second level and created a meeting space and permanent exhibit about the history of Lombard.

While the society has benefited from the expansion, many community groups, including the Lombard Garden Club and Lombard Kiwanis, have used the building since the expansion was completed.

"This is not just a space for us to have a board meeting once a month," Richardt said. "This is used every single week by multiple organizations."

Part of the project was funded by a $70,000 reimbursement grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources that was given to the society after the work was completed. To pay for the upfront costs, however, the society turned to the village for a loan.

The village owns the Carriage House, the Victorian Cottage and the property they sit on, but Richardt said the society felt strongly that they should fundraise to pay for the work.

Several thousand dollars were raised each year through a raffle the society holds at its Civil War encampment. Other fundraisers, like a new Bootleggers Bash and a zombie festival for kids, helped the society reach it's $132,000 goal.

In addition, many individual donations came in when the project was getting under way, and again earlier this year, after former board member John Egan died. The Lombard Historical Society was listed in his obituary as a place for memorials to be sent in lieu of flowers.

"He was very integral in the beginning of it," Richardt said of Egan's role with the Carriage House project.

Now, Richardt is ready to dive into an estimated $165,000 worth of work at the historical society's other property, the Sheldon Peck Homestead.

"It's nice to be looking forward instead of looking backward - which is weird in the history world," she said with a laugh.

Richardt already has applied for grants to help pay for repairs to the basement, the foundation on the east end of the building and the rotting wood on the outside of the home. A Boy Scout also has offered to replace a broken fence on the property as part of his Eagle Scout project.

While Richardt is hopeful grant funding will come through, she does have plans to go to the village again for help if needed - and she anticipates the village will be willing to provide that help through a grant again.

"Those formal conversations of how much do we need will happen in February or March next year because that's when we find out what grants we received," she said.