Museum re-capped

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM--Soon the Brown County Historical Society Museum building will be whole again, after lightning nearly one year ago demolished a cap at one end of the roof.

The cap which had survived two earlier strikes--in 1997 and 1987--was blown to pieces during a late-evening storm Aug. 17, 2000. The bolt was so intense it charred the metal retaining rods in the cap and split the mortar and concrete into brick-sized pieces which fell on the parking lot below and scattered across Center Street.

Work began immediately in repairing the brick and mortar base, and was completed by the end of August 2000, Museum Director Bob Burgess said. However, repairing and replacing the cap itself was another story.

"We were fortunate that we had a place in town, American Artstone, that could recreate the concrete cap," Burgess said. "But there was no one in town who could work at the height of the cap and be able to lift nearly 200 pounds of stone up to that height."

Then, a company in Wisconsin that specialized in church restoration was found.

Now, Krause Konstruction Company of Stoddard is finishing the work of preparing the base for the cap and installing the cap which is made in sections for easier handling.

Burgess estimates that the entire repair and replacement will total $23,800, most of which will be covered by insurance. The Brown County Historical Society will have to cover the $2,500 deductible in its operating budget.

Burgess is also writing a grant request for money from the State Grants in Aid Program to cover part of the cost of a lightning arrestor that is being installed.

"We're not taking any more chances on this happening again," Burgess said.