Columbus Wi Area Historical Society ... Capital Campaign
What can be done to find a home for both?
The Columbus Area Historical Society has been looking for a new home for the past two-plus years. Several locations were ruled out because they were in a flood plain, too small or for other reasons. This past year the members of Columbus Popcorn Wagon approached the society about joining forces to find a home that would accommodate both the museum and the popcorn wagon. That made sense to all involved.
Step one in our search has been completed. We found a location!
Step two has been completed. We purchased the building!
Step three … see below.
A perfect location has been found that will work well for both. It’s the historic building at 152 W. James St., which was the longtime home to Bellack’s Clothing Store. — Albert M. “Dick” Bellack and his brother, Bernhard “Bonny” Bellack, started the business in 1883. They moved the business to this building in 1895 when it was built. An addition known as the “tailor building” was built in 1900 at what is now Bombshell Hair Designs at 116 N. Dickason Blvd. The Bellacks operated the business until 1935. New owners continued the business under the same name until the 1980s. The Knights of Pythias met in the second-floor meeting room, which is what the “K of P” denotes at the top of the building façade.
The building has been listed since 1992 on both the National and State Registers of Historic Places; it’s located in the Columbus Downtown Historic District.
The building at 152 W. James St. is one door away from a historic intersection – the intersection that’s home to Columbus City Hall, the Columbus Public Library and Farmers & Merchants Union Bank. The building has access in the rear for the popcorn wagon, which will be displayed inside the front of the museum. The first floor is 2,700 square feet; it already has men’s and women’s bathrooms. There’s a nice apartment on the second floor where the building owners recently lived. It’s 2.093 square feet. Being owner-occupied, the apartment was well-maintained.
Columbus Loves Its History
There are so many wonderful, historic buildings and artifacts in Columbus, and there is a greater number of residents who care about it than most people realize. There have been a number of fundraisers by different groups for historic causes in Columbus in the past few years. We would ask those same individuals to be our supporters as well. With their help we can re-open our museum and provide a permanent home for the historic popcorn wagon.
Our Current Status
Columbus Area Historical Society artifacts have been in two storage units for the past two-plus years. We’re paying to have them stored, from money raised by our fundraisers; that’s money that could be better spent on other needs. Our fundraisers have included our annual Soup and Chili Luncheon, various brat fries, our Shadows From the Hillside presentation at Hillside Cemetery, Christmas-ornament sales and other functions. We also have several presentations on historical topics each spring and fall that we call “Tap Into History.” While these efforts by the members of the society have raised funds for routine operations, they were by no means enough to purchase a building.
The popcorn wagon has been stored in various buildings through the years. It’s currently in a garage under a tarp. The building owner has been gracious to allow it to be stored there on a temporary basis, but it can’t stay there forever.
Now that we have a suitable site for both the popcorn wagon and museum, what comes next?
It’s updating and making repairs to the building to make it museum-ready. For that, we’re continuing our fundrainsing.
Step three is the final step
The list shows our original needs. Some show as “completed;” raising funds for those has been accomplished.
We are still looking for funds for the remaining items.
- Purchase of the building and associated expenses — COMPLETED
- Promotional materials — COMPLETED
- UV control — COMPLETED
- Moving expenses
- Painting and repairs
- Painting the popcorn wagon back to yellow
- Adding partitions and display cases for the display area
- Climate control for the artifacts
- Specialized lighting
Rental income from the second-floor apartment should cover our monthly expenses for the building, making us self-sufficient once the purchase of the building and improvements are paid in full.
Our total goal for this campaign is $500,000. We are at more than $300,000 as of the end of October 2024. Additional donations will be used for the remaining listed items.
Even better news, as was mentioned before, is that the Columbus Area Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) entity, which means contributions are tax-deductible, EIN# 45-3129178. To learn to what extent a donation is deductible, please consult a tax adviser.
To reach our goal we’re seeking help from area individuals, businesses and organizations who want to help preserve our local history for generations to come. Whether it’s $1 or $50,000, any contribution will be gladly accepted.
At certain giving levels, donors will be permanently recognized on a display in the museum.
From all of us at CAHS and CPWI, your generosity would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you for your consideration!
Columbus Area Historical Society
P.O. Box 144, Columbus, WI 53925
www.columbuswiareahistory.com
columbusareahistoricalsociety@gmail.com
