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NORTH OF INDIAN RIVER |
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DECEMBER, 1999 The Topinabee Depot building was constructed in 1881 and purchased by the township in 1958. Major repair work on the building has been rare, but a major renovation which started earlier this fall is nearing completion. The building now houses the Topinabee Library and a historical museum. |
by L. Scott Swanson, Editor Straitsland Resorter
With a major renovation project nearing completion, the Topinabee
Library and Historical Museum should be able to reopen sometime
shortly after the beginning of the new year.
Over the past several months the depot building, which is home
to the library and museum, has had: heating and septic systems
added; the ceilings modified; and a storage room converted to
additional library space.
The building is owned by Mullett Township, but much of the work
was financed be a donor who wishes to remain anonymous. The work
has been done by Jim Zwar and Jim's Handyman Service.
The depot building was constructed in 1881. The township purchased
it from the railway compan in 1958 for $8,500. In the early 1970s
the building was jacked up and put on a permanent foundation.
The library had been in the building earlier and moved back in
1974.
"Structurally, the building's in pretty good shape, as best
we could tell," Zwar said. In doing the renovation, some
nails had to be removed. Zwar said the nails were the old square-cut
nails, which were probably made by a blacksmith. The nails were
saved for the museum.
Putting in a heating system and restrooms were major projects,
but Zwar said they were done with an eye toward retaining the
building's historical integrity. The bathrooms were installed
in a small room at the center of the building. The heating system
uses a geo-thermal pump with the indoor portion of the system
hidden in a small room above the bathrooms. Prior to the renovation,
the building had no bathroom and the only heat came from a small
wall furnace. There was also no insulation in the building. Topinabee
Librarian Elizabeth Benson said the wall furnace's ability to
keep the building warm depended, to some degree, on the direction
of the wind.
At some time in the past, a drop ceiling had been installed. That
has been removed and the building now has its original high ceiling.
Last fall, before the project began, vandals broke into the building
and dumped books from shelves and sprayed fire extinguishers around,
generally making a terrible mess. Although there was no direct
link between the vandalism incident and the renvation, the repair
work began a short time later.
The interior of the building is currently kind of a mint green
color. The interior is going to be repainted an off white. The
lighting system will also be repaired, the wiring brought up to
date and new carpeting will be installed.
Although Zwar says the renovation has been quite a project, it's
turned out well. The building has retained its historical integrity,
yet it will provide a much more comfortable home for the museum,
library and their patrons.