Lake County museum looking for home; must vacate old courthouse

Time travel is a possibility at the Lake County Historical Society Museum.

The museum, hosted with 4,000 square feet on the second floor of the former Lake justice palace in downtown Crown Point, is filled with donations dating back to the 1800s when Crown Point and the county of Lake were in their infancy.

Finding new houses for these museum treasures, including newspapers of civil war soldiers, a Gutenberg printing press 1821 and a music box and a 1890 symphonion cabinet that still plays, is now the work of executive director Diane Gora and eight volunteers.

Gora herself is an unpaid volunteer.

“We were notified on July 31 that we have until December 31 to leave space,” said Gora.

An opinion was given of the foundation of the courthouse Lake, owners of the courthouse, who could not be joined to comment.

“We cannot afford the rent for the moment,” said Gora.

The museum has been accommodated in the courthouse for 43 years this month.

“We were 43 years old,” she said.

Gora said that the Lake County Historical Society, which exploits the museum, is one of the oldest historic companies operating continuously in Indiana.

He is still preparing to celebrate his 150th birthday with an open day from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on September 27.

“Our goal is to maintain society and continue for 150 years. The elephant in the room takes care of people’s treasures,” she said.

Gora said the company knew that they would be invited to take out the museum from the courthouse.

During this period, Gora and the volunteers tried any inventory.

“We have diligently worked to make an inventory; None had been done before, “she said.

Until now, 5,000 items have been recorded and can be taken into account.

“We have trouble crossing all the articles,” she said.

She said that part of the tedious process of her group, in addition to recording everything, tries to connect articles with their donors.

“It is not a question of putting things in a dumpster. We try to find documents that connect the articles to the family. Do they want the article to come back or give it to another place? ” She said.

His group is also able to lend or gifts, if it is relevant to this community, to other cities or historical societies.

The Department of County Parks of Lake, including Deep River Mill and Buckley Homestead, took some of the museum articles, as well as the city of Gary and the old Sheriff’s House Foundation in Crown Point.

The Lake County Historical Society Museum includes two rooms open to the public, as well as two bedrooms used for the storage of many items, including 50 military and vintage garbage trash cans.

A recent Tuesday, the residents of Crown Point, Alicia and Scott Savoy, came to the museum after hearing that he was no longer located after December 31.

It was their second visit to the museum.

“It’s great,” said Alicia Savoy about museum articles, adding: “It tells a story.”

There is a lot to see, in particular the native of the astronaut, the native of Crown Point, Jerry Ross, carried on one of his many trips in space; The “technology” of the early 1900s, such as writing machines and the addition of machines; as well as a silent German manufacturing camera patented in the early 1900s.

“We are trying to preserve as much as possible,” said Gora.

Gora hopes that the museum will be able to find a new house for all its treasures, and she said that it had at least one offer from a Dyer businessman who would let them use a window for the articles.

“He (a new location) will never be as good as this,” she said about the current museum location.

Those who have questions about the museum or the company can call (219) 662-3975 or (219) 308-4407.
The telephone number of the Foundation is (219) 663-0660

Deborah Laverty is a journalist independent of the post-distribute.