SPECULATOR — A solid foundation is vital to a building. It is the base that allows floors, walls and roof to stand true and square.

When a foundation falters, the building soon falters too. That is the dilemma facing Lake Pleasant Museum, and the reason for a fund drive to pay for a new foundation.

Built in 1894, the little museum started out as the Town of Lake Pleasant’s first Town Hall. It was used as town hall and library until 1961, when the town offices were moved to a new building. The library remained until 2003, when it too moved to new quarters.

The building doesn’t just hold local history, it IS local history!

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009 and became the town’s local history museum, operated by The Historical Society of Lake Pleasant & Speculator. The Society gathers, preserves, promotes, and protects the town’s history and staffs the museum.

Sometime during its 127-year history, the original stone foundation was replaced with cinder block, which is cracking and, in some places, crumbling. An assessment by Adirondack Building Restoration Inc. found there is no drainage system around the foundation, so water coming off the hill in back is undermining it.

A new foundation is needed, along with proper drainage and new piers to support the center beam. This work is estimated at over $90,000. That’s a lot for a town of 781 souls.

A matching grant, which has been applied for, would pay 50% of the cost. The remaining 50% would have to come from the town (cash and/or in-kind services), fund-raising events, and donations.

Lake Pleasant and Speculator residents have a strong history of supporting worthy causes through donations, including the primary care center, the library, and the ambulance. It is hoped these generous donors will also find local history worthy of support.

Donations may be mailed to Town of Lake Pleasant, POB 799, Lake Pleasant NY 12108. Please write “Museum” on the memo line.

Don’t let our museum become history!

As Historical Society President Sally Cross says, “Gathering and preserving our community’s history helps us to know who we are while molding the future. Our museum serves as an invaluable resource for accomplishing this mission.”

Top Photo: Lake Pleasant Museum on Rt. 8 in Speculator. (Photo/Cristine Meixner)

Middle Photo: Cracks have formed throughout the foundation. This is one of the worst. (Photo/Cristine Meixner)

Bottom Photo: This photo shows part of the west side of the foundation. (Photo/Cristine Meixner)