Renovation projects at Jacksonville Area Museum are on track, and ideas are already being generated for the next phase.
Museum board director David Blanchette created a committee in March to start planning the next phase.
In the center of the museum, which is where the second phase is focused, there are facades of different historic buildings. The work, which isn’t finished yet, will leave the shells for exhibits that can be rotated for different displays in the future.
“We have a couple of the facades that are complete and are ready for the exhibits … furnishings to be put in,” Blanchette said. “We’re not ready to do that yet, but they’re essentially almost ready to go. There are a couple that are in progress, especially Mother Carson.”
Mother Carson is the nickname for Catherine Kendall Carson, a midwife who lived in Jacksonville and died in 1879, according to the museum.
“The logs are in place, the stone fireplace inside is currently being installed, as well as a fireplace mantle,” Blanchette said. “And then the building next to that, which is … inspired by the trade palace building, is really taking shape.”
The third phase of the museum’s renovations will consist of items in the basement. Blanchette said the museum board envisions an educational/children’s area “where kids can be a little bit rowdier and a little more creative than they can among artifacts in the museum.”
He said there could also be some sort of public use area, “but … those are just kind of thoughts at this point.”