Historical society reaffirms plan to scrap lumberyard for new museum

Despite objections from local preservationists, the Benton County Historical Society is proceeding with plans to tear down a vacant lumberyard to make way for a new museum.

The property at Southwest Second Street and Adams Avenue was purchased in 1999 to house the Horner collection, which the historical society took over after Oregon State University closed the popular Horner Museum on campus. The society initially planned to renovate the 14,500-square-foot Copeland Lumber building, but the plan changed in July, when the group's board of directors voted unanimously to build a brand-new, 27,500-square-foot structure on the site.

That decision sparked protests from people who wanted to save the 79-year-old building, arguing that the new plan was too expensive, incompatible with the neighborhood and a waste of resources.

But the board stuck to its guns.

While no formal meeting was held to address the controversy, it did come up for discussion last Wednesday during a strategic planning retreat, according to Executive Director Ann Schirado. With most of the board members present, along with the society's entire advisory board and the co-chairs of its capital campaign, a straw poll was taken.

"We revisited our decision-making," Schirado said. "It was again a unanimous show of hands that we're doing the right thing, we're on the right track."

Workers will start dismantling the Copeland Lumber building today, Schirado said, with the demolition project expected to take about two weeks. Construction of the new building should begin in about a year.

Gary Feuerstein of Endex Engineering, who was deeply involved in plans to renovate the former lumberyard, led the opposition to tearing it down. On Monday, he said he was resigned to the demolition.

"We made our challenge as well as we could and tried to bring the issues before the public, but the society's made their decision," Feuerstein said.

"It's a disappointment, but the society has a right to make that decision and move ahead on it. At this point, I think, there's no turning back."

Schirado said the Copeland demolition sets the stage for a year-long effort to raise the historical society's profile while boosting support for an $8.5 million fund-raising campaign. The money is intended to finance and endow the new museum while funding improvements at the society's existing museum in Philomath.

Under the leadership of a new full-time curator of education, Schirado said, the society plans to offer an expanded slate of programs, special events, lecture series and so on. A membership drive is also in the works.

"This is a huge, huge milestone for us and for the community," Schirado said of plans for the new downtown museum. "This demolition begins it all."

Bennett Hall is the business editor for the Gazette-Times. He can be reached at 758-9529 or bennett.hall@lee.net.