Historical Society building is badly in need of repair

The Long Beach Historical Society has been preserving the city’s past for over 40 years. But now the society’s headquarters itself is becoming history, badly in need of repair.

The society says the floors of the building, at 226 W. Penn St., which, are cracking, the chimney needs work and the majority of the windows need to be replaced.

“It’s a 113-year-old building,” said Karen Adamo, president of the society, said of the structure, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “We’ve maintained it pretty well over the years, but now we have issues with the windowsills rotting out, the exhibit room doors on the outside are all rotted and the stucco needs work. It’s a major restoration.”

Adamo said that the organization has been trying to get cost estimates for the building’s restoration, and was told by one restorer that it would cost about $150,000.

The red tile roof was replaced 15 years ago, costing the society about $90,000.

“We can’t just replace the windows with plastic — we have to restore them,” Adamo said. “We’re historically landmarked, and we need to keep the museum house with the period. That’s why we have to restore and not just renovate.”

In addition to the building’s historic status, the society also has a permanent charter with the State Education Department. A charter is a grant of authority issued by the department that is necessary for any educational organization that intends to operate as a nonprofit, which the society does.

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.

One of them is the much-anticipated arts and crafts fair on the boardwalk each August. About 150 vendors take part.

“We basically lived off” the money from the fairs, Adamo said. “That was our budget every year, and we haven’t had it for basically four years now, two because of Covid. We have lost over $200,000 in the last four years by not having the fair on the boardwalk.”

Over the years, the society has held galas, plays, tag sales and other programs. Its major fundraiser for this year, the Centennial Gala, will take place Saturday at Temple Emanu-El. About 160 tickets have been sold, and Adamo said she expected it to be a good moneymaker.

The society will hold other smaller events throughout the rest of the year, to continue to educate the public about Long Beach’s history and the organization’s efforts to preserving the city’s historical and architectural heritage.

In early May, the society created a GoFundMe site online to try to raise funds to restore the building. The goal is listed as $25,000. As of press time, there were 58 donations totaling $4,185.

“To preserve our history is very, very important,” said Eileen Pollis, a librarian at the Long Beach Public Library. “They do need the funding because of Covid. Everyone suffered, but smaller organizations like the historical society suffered more, because they only have those big events one or two times a year.”

Pollis is involved in a library program called “Long Beach Memories: A Pictorial History and Discussion,” in which she teaches residents about the city’s history. She also organized library programs in collaboration with the society, such as one about Long Beach’s founder, William H. Reynolds, as part of the centennial celebration this summer.

“Long Beach is not that old,” Pollis said of the city, which was incorporated in 1922. “But we did come from basically nothing. We were a barrier beach, and Reynolds had a dream to fill us in and make a community. So in that respect, it’s important we preserve the history we have.”