Windermere Valley Museum refurbishes historic buildings

Volunteers with the Windermere Valley Museum have refurbished several historic buildings.

The buildings got a facelift when a volunteer noticed their condition during their usual spring cleaning.

“One of our volunteers found there was some maintenance needed for some window and door frames. She took the initiative to contact some of the volunteers who were interested in painting,” said J.D. Jeffery, Museum Curator.

“Over three days, we stripped off the old paint and put on some new paint. We did five of our 11 buildings that needed that extra little touch.”

Volunteers play an important role in keeping the museum alive.

“Everything has been organized and maintained by our volunteers. It’s not a big team, so we’re always looking for more people with different skill sets to help out,” said Jeffery.

“Sometimes we have things that are beyond our ability, so we find contractors and sometimes they volunteer their time and services. That helps maintain our buildings when it’s a little bit more than we can do as individuals.”

Jeffery said keeping the buildings in good shape helps preserve their historical value.

“Most of our buildings have come from different parts of the valley and were brought here to show people what life was like around 1900,” explained Jeffery.

“Some of the buildings we did were over 100 years old, our Brisco School was built in 1906. The more we keep our buildings looking nice and maintained, the longer they’ll last for people to come and enjoy.”

The buildings come from different parts of the Columbia Valley, and Jeffery said they showcase life at the time in the community they originated from.

“We’ll have people who are studying at home or schools come out to us to see the things they’ve been studying,” said Jeffery.

“During the summer we’ll have demonstrations like scrubbing clothes or churning butter. It brings history to life for them.”

You can find more details about the museum here.