The challenges and rewards of restoring a treasured landmark while updating it for the 21st Century.
by Paul Kimball, Project Manager & Trustee MaryLynne Turner
Over the past 16 months, since the devastating fire of January 2025, the Morgan-Manning House Museum has seen significant progress on its rebuild.
All rough construction is now complete on the first floor, and we are moving into the careful finish phase. We will be engaging specialty craftsmen to repair the plaster ceiling in the gold parlors. In the hallway, the reception room, and the library, the wood trim, paneling, and bookshelves will be meticulously restored. Some new flooring has already been installed. Matching new finishes to the originals has been a challenge!
Upstairs, plans are underway to reconstruct the Victorian bedroom. Other spaces will house interesting displays. It is disappointing that parts of the collection were destroyed in the fire, but it gives us an opportunity to create some new and exciting exhibits.
In addition, the house will receive modern upgrades, including a new sprinkler system, enhanced security, internet, and updated audio-visual equipment for presentations. Hiding this essential technology has been another challenge.
The house looks stately and grand outside. The Belvedere has been restored, and soon the two chimneys on the south side will be rebuilt, work that obviously could not have been done during our long, cold winter. Once again, the challenge has been to match the new brick and mortar with the original.
Although we cannot invite the public inside yet, we will be participating in several upcoming events. We will have our History Tent up on our lawn on Saturday, May 30, during Night at the Museums; in early June at the Hamlin Wheel Fest; and, of course, on the 4th of July, which will be celebrated again at the Alumni House on the SUNY Brockport Campus.
We thank the community for your continued support as we bring this historic home to its next chapter. The process will take time and a great deal of money, but doing it the right way will be worth the effort.
Photo by Paul Kimball
