Glen Ellyn History Center staying closed through at least May for flood repairs
Packing up the Glen Ellyn History Center after a major flood has filled a whopping 649 boxes, and the number is growing as volunteers prepare the building for restoration work.
The repairs will keep the history center closed through May and it's too early to say whether parts of the building could reopen sometime in June, Executive Director Karen Hall said Monday.
The history center was shut down after a four-inch pipe from a fire suppression system burst in the early morning hours of March 22, flooding the entire building at the corner of Main and Elm streets at the village's northern gateway. Roughly 3 inches of muddy water spread throughout the first floor and the basement collected more than 6 feet of water.
Crews this week are set to dismantle temporary walls and other water-damaged materials so reconstruction can begin, Hall said.
"Today, they're starting to remove the rest of the flooring that remains that was affected by the water," she said.
The nonprofit Glen Ellyn Historical Society operates the center and the Stacy's Tavern Museum, left unscathed, about a block to the north. Behind the museum, the historical society will still host its annual Vintage Auto Fest, a mostly outdoor event, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 2.
Glen Ellyn and Lombard historical society organizers also have relocated a Tuesday night documentary screening to the community room at the Glen Ellyn Police Department. The documentary, "Sheldon Peck: Portrait of an Ordinary Man in Extraordinary Times," tells the story of a 19th-century artist and abolitionist who housed fugitive slaves in his Lombard homestead, a stop on the Underground Railroad. The free screening will begin after an introduction at 7 p.m.
As for May events, a book discussion group and "Story Time with Aunt Tillie" will be meeting at the Glen Ellyn Public Library.
Through the packing effort, meanwhile, staff and volunteers have moved historical artifacts to dry, temporary storage in all those boxes that will eventually be recycled. Roughly 85 percent of the historical society collection was saved and spared from damage.
"We had some items that were too damaged to save, mostly books and paper items, which of course can be devastated by water," Hall said. "But many of the other items that were damaged can be cleaned and restored."
To restore the building, construction crews will install new drywall, paint and put in new flooring.
"And of course, entirely a new basement, since that was gutted down to the studs," Hall said.
The lower two feet of every wall in the history center was removed for drying, Hall said in.
The costs of repairs will exceed insurance coverage, Hall said, so the historical society continues to accept donations through its website, gehs.org.
"The community has really been wonderful, and we really appreciate their support," she said.