The newly remodeled Heritage Hall Museum features new displays, bright lighting, and a dedication to preserving and promoting Lakeside history. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

LAKESIDE – For the Lakeside Heritage Society (LHS), all things old are also all things new. After months of renovation work, LHS hosted the Grand Reveal and Re-Opening of the Heritage Hall Museum on June 28. LHS President Kathy Venema hosted the event along with LHS Trustee and Capital Campaign Chair Cindy Grimm.

Grimm said about $470,000 was raised for the project through grants and corporate and individual donations. The interior of the museum was completely remodeled, resulting in new, vibrant displays, bright lighting, and a strong emphasis on Lakeside Chautauqua’s four pillars of Religion, Education, Cultural Arts, and Recreation.

Lakeside Heritage Society founding member, Dave Glick, was among the dozens of people who attended the Grand Reveal of Heritage Hall Museum on June 28. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

LHS Librarian and Media Specialist, Laurie Switzer, said the museum’s new features help highlight Lakeside’s historical commitment to edifying the community in the areas of the four pillars.

“I think it’s very important to know that this is not just a gift to Lakeside but to the whole community because Chautauqua was a significant, historical movement to bring education to rural areas,” Switzer said. “It’s not just about us.”

LHS Archivist and Operations Manager Melissa Ladd greets people for a first look at the museum on June 28. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

Switzer and LHS Archivist and Operations Manager Melissa Ladd have been working since the end of last season to catalogue, clean, and organize artifacts and then make the difficult decisions about which would be placed on display.

Not only is the museum sporting a new look, but it also has a new Museum Specialist, Patty Curry. Curry is the new face of the museum, where she will greet visitors, host programs, and promote local history.

“I’ll enjoy inviting the community in and making history come alive,” she said.

LHS Librarian and Media Specialist, Laurie Switzer, left, and LHS Trustee Cindy Grimm hold a photo of the interior of museum pre-renovation. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

Curry said visitors can experience interactive displays and seminars, including monthly talks on the history of the Chautauqua movement.

“We’ll have white glove experiences for kids. They can put on a glove and hold different artifacts, and then they can use the computer to research more about it,” Curry said. “We’re trying to foster a love of history.”

Dozens of people attended the Grand Reveal.

Connie Nicholson charmed the audience with her handbell tree solo at the Grand Reveal. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

“Today, you’ll have an opportunity to take a first look,” Venema said.

Venema praised Ladd and Switzer for their months of dedication to the project.

“They spent untold hours choosing, researching, ensuring accuracy in labeling, and paying attention to every detail,” Venema said.

Dozens of people wait to get a first look of the newly remodeled Heritage Hall Museum on June 26. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

Among the many guests at the Grand Reveal was Dave Glick, a Lakeside historian and a founding member of LHS, which was formed as the Lakeside Heritage Club in 1968. The group was founded to save the Lakeside Methodist chapel, which was nearly demolished, so Glick has had a firsthand view of Lakeside history and of Lakeside’s passionate efforts to preserve that history.

Glick was thrilled with the remodeling project.

“I can’t believe what they’ve done,” he said. “It’s fantastic.”

Heritage Hall Museum is located at 238 Maple Ave. in Lakeside. For more information on the Lakeside Heritage Society and the museum, visit www.lakesideheritagesociety.org. For more information on Chautauqua passes, visit www.lakesideohio.com/visiting-lakeside/passes/.