Historical society gets $25K shot in the arm

After preserving the city’s history for over 40 years, the Long Beach Historical Society has itself started becoming history, needing renovations and repairs.

The 113-year-old building, at 226 W. Penn St. and on the National Register of Historic Places, needs new windowsills, doorsills for their exhibit room, chimney work and updated stucco. Back in October, the society got an estimate on how much these repairs would cost - $140,000. The building’s red tile roof was replaced 15 years ago for $90,000.

Harvey Weisenberg, one of Long Beach’s best-known residents who has given thousands of dollars to charities and causes in recent years, has come through once again, this time for the Historical Society.

The society held its annual holiday boutique two weekends ago, on Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4. The boutique welcomes local artisan vendors and artists, holiday decorations, apple cider and treats.

On that Sunday, Weisenberg, presented the society with a check for $25,000 to help get renovations started.

The donation was the largest donation the Society has received and has improved its chances of renovation greatly. The society has been receiving money from other avenues and people as well, including a GoFundMe crowdfunding site online in early May, which has a goal of $25,000. The Society has raised $4,428 from 64 donations on the site.

The society preserves documents related to the city’s government, police and fire departments, schools and sanitation dating back to the late 1800s.

There are also old postcards, clothing and photos of Long Beach’s past. Individuals and groups such as school classes can explore the museum, and the society also holds events across the city throughout the year.

“The first two major areas are the windowsills and the exhibit room door sills,” said Karen Adamo, the president of the historical society. “Those are the two major projects and that’s what is going to cost the most money.”

“We’ve raised a few thousand from the GoFundMe itself,” Adamo said. “It helps, but it isn’t crazy significant. Harvey had said a year ago that he wanted to give us money. Now, he did.”

The society is still in need of some money, and along with the crowdfunding still up and the donation from Weisenberg, they have been selling reusable grocery bags at Stop and Shop, receiving $1 from each bag sold.

Adamo said the plan is to start the renovations in the spring so the weather is better and the cement and stucco are able to be replaced. Normally, for cement and stucco, temperatures should be at least 40 degrees, otherwise the water needed to make the paste could freeze during installation, drying and setting. So, once the weather gets a little warmer, the historical society building should be becoming a little less historical itself.