Excerpts from ChicagoTribune.com:
As the walls and ceilings are being removed from the former Cicero Fire House No. 2 building on Lake Street, history is coming back to life for Frank Lipo. This historic structure, built in 1898 at 129 Lake St., has served the community for over a century in various roles. Now, it stands as the oldest public building in Oak Park and will soon become the new home of the Historical Society once the renovation is complete.
Frank Lipo, the executive director of the Historical Society, is leading a $600,000 restoration project aimed at returning the building to its original grandeur while adding modern comforts. “Our goal is to restore the replica doors to match the historical photos,†Lipo explained, referring to the original barn-style entrances now covered with cinder blocks and windows. “We also plan to create a brick plaza in front to reflect where fire engines once left the station.â€
In June, crews will dig three 500-foot-deep wells next to the building and install a geothermal HVAC system. Lipo hopes this will help preserve the historical artifacts housed within the building. When the old ceilings were removed, they revealed fascinating remnants of the past: two large holes on the second floor where firefighters used to slide down poles to reach the fire engines below. Crews also found horse feed preserved beneath the second floor in the rear of the building.
Historically, horses were kept on the first floor and brought to the front to pull early fire wagons. While the society celebrates the past, it's also reaching out to the community for support. Two grants from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, totaling nearly $200,000, have been suspended but not canceled. The society is hopeful they’ll be released, but in the meantime, they’ve launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds online and ensure the project is fully completed.
If you're interested in helping, you can visit http://www.indiegogo.com and search for “The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.†More details are also available at http://www.oprfhistory.org.
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