The Magnolia Historical Museum, originally located in the Magnolia Library and Community Center, quickly outgrew our space. In 2013, we bought the historic 1892 Blynman Schoolhouse — vacant, neglected, and on the verge of demolition — and began the colossal project of renovating the building to create a permanent home for our archives, artifacts and programs. With 90% of the renovation complete, the building has been transformed into the Magnolia Historical Museum and ensures the survival of this local landmark for generations to come!

 

We have come a long way forward in attaining our goal since our initial purchase of the Blynman School. Our organization has successfully orchestrated the almost entire renovation of the building and grounds. 

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WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED: 

 

Floors: We had the original gorgeous maple floors refinished and ripped out old asbestos linoleum floors from the hall, kitchen and bathroom. 

 

Roof, Cupola and Restoration of Eye Window: A new roof was installed and any wood rot was removed. The beautiful cupola has been restored and wrapped in copper. The classic “eyebrow window” was restored.    

  

Insulation and Interior Walls: The Blynman had no insulation. We removed all the interior wall surfaces down to studs.  While very costly, we chose closed cell isonene spray foam for insulation.  New sheetrock has been installed, plastered and painted.  

Plumbing: We replaced old corroded cast iron with PVC and replumbed the kitchen and bathroom. The original elementary school "boy's room" and “girls room” have been gutted and all debris has been removed.   

 

Heating, Humidity Control and Hot Water: We have installed an entirely new heating system, de-humidification and hot water tanks.  

 

Electrical: The building required a complete rewiring including all outlets, switches and lighting. The old electrical panel was outdated, unsafe and did not have the capacity that we needed, so it was also replaced. 

 

Exterior: the entire exterior of the schoolhouse was scraped and repainted.  New gutters were installed. Many large dead trees were removed so that they would not damage the building. The front entrance deck was replaced. We have installed security cameras to protect the grounds, building and collection. 

 

Technology: We secured four computers, printers, and a large format digital scanner/printer for archiving materials. We have an annual lease of Past Perfect, the leader in Museum software, which manages the archiving and digitization as well as membership and financial accounting.  

 

Miscellaneous: We were given an historic 6,000-pound safe from a late 1800’s jeweler on Lexington Ave. and used a crane to transfer it inside. It is a centerpiece of attention! ​​

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