Museum
History of the building:
The museum currently resides on the East side of Main Street in the village of Fairfax. When it was first built in 1807 as the Fairfax Town Hall, it was located across the street on the West side. The building was used for Town Meetings and general elections. Some preaching also took place there before churches were built in town. In 1938, the building was sold to the Hicks Funeral Home. After BFA-Fairfax burned down in 1941 some of the children were temporarily schooled in this building while the new school was constructed. In the 1960's, Albert Rich, who took over the Funeral Home from Marty Hicks, transformed the building into a casket showroom. In 1992, then-owners Lucien and Carol Hayes donated the building to the Fairfax Historical Society and it was moved across the street to the site of the old fire station.
In 2010 the sump pump failed and the basement was flooded with ten inches of water during a wet spell. The pump was replaced but the moisture from the flood caused a mold bloom in the building and it had to be closed to the public. This past summer we had a mold remediation team come in a clean the whole building so it is safe to be in again. We still have a lot of structural and cosmetic work to do, and have been holding frequent work days for volunteers at the museum. As funds become available we are tackling our long to-do list of repairs.
The museum crossing Main Street to its new home.
The museum during mold remediation, after the old homasote walls and ceiling were taken down.
Moving Forward:
In order to address all of the needs of the build and its contents, we will proceed with renovations in phases:
Phase 1: Mold Remediation- clean and store all artifacts, remove homasote ceilings and walls, clean all wood work and structural elements, install air filtration and humidity control.
Phase 2: Foundation Work- rework drainage in basement, reinforce cracked basement walls.
Phase 3: Structural Work- Replace leaky roof, replace basement stairs, build ramp to side door.
Phase 4: Aesthetics- Repair and paint exterior walls, restore windows and doors, landscaping, artifact displays.
Phase 5: Preservation- Long-term care and preservation of historical artifacts.
We are seeking financial and volunteer support for these projects. We are also pursuing matching grants, so any financial contribution will be doubled.
Some of the many artifacts the museum holds.
Antique Maple Taps from Fairfax syrup producers.