Butler Museum Work Could Enter Second Phase Soon

While the Butler Museum has been closed to the public for more than a year now, Butler Museum Chairwoman Peggy Spranzani said progress is continuing on the project and the museum is expected to be open next year.

Next year, the museum will celebrate its 125th anniversary, Spranzani said, and the historical commission is already planning ways to celebrate.

"I definitely want to have a special grand opening in October," she said.

But until then, work will continue on renovations to the interior and exterior of the Main Street building.

The project has been primarily funded through Morris County Preservation Trust Fund grants, beginning with a $28,000 grant more than three years ago for a historic preservation plan to be documented detailing what is needed to preserve the museum. The borough also received a non-construction grant of about $20,000 for bid specifications and drawings and a $330,000 grant for the actual renovations.

Artifacts and exhibits were carefully packed away just before construction began last July.

Spranzani said construction that has already occurred was part of the first phase of renovations, but that the borough has recently learned more money could be coming Butler's way for a second phase.

"We knew we would be done with Phase I, but it was Phase II we were up in the air how much money we were able to get from the county and how much we'd be able to do," Spranzani said.

According to Butler Borough Administrator James Lampmann, the additional money has not yet been approved by all parties for the next phase of work.

"We just received the grant agreement for signature and sent it back to Morris County for their signature," he said. "Once it is signed by the county, we will begin the process of pre-certifying bidders for the next phase of work."

Once approved, Spranzani said one of the things that would be considered under the next phase of work would be to paint the exterior of the building "in a color that was appropriate with the train station." Work up until this point has included what Spranzani called a "major structural reestablishment of the museum."

This included replacing disintegrated railroad ties, creating a new concrete foundation with a concrete support structure and replacement of some of the wooden foundation that had rotted. One renovation that not only enhanced the structure but brought the museum back to what it would have been like in the time period it was in operation was the construction of a wooden platform.

"We took off the concrete platform in the back and replaced it with a wooden one, which is what would have existed in 1910s," Spranzani said.

Spranzani emphasized that throughout the renovation process, all of the artifacts that were housed in the museum have been protected.

"All of our items, thousands of them, had to be inventoried, categorized and packed up," she said.

In the meantime, Spranzani said the museum's volunteers have continued to service the community, offering information and geneology assistance to those who request it.