From left, Pickford Historical Society President Jay Leach and other volunteers Janet Rye, Vern Roe, George Rye, Web Morrison, and Jill Halsey stand in front of the Pickford Historical Museum. The work in progress boasts new windows and doors, renovated brick work, and a historically accurate flat roof. The volunteers were working at the museum Friday night, July 29, to prepare it for Hay Days this week. Pickford residents and visitors can get a look at the evolving face of Pickford Historical Museum when it serves as the Hay Days Hospitality Center this weekend. The building will be open three days this week, from noon to 7 p.m. Thursday, August 4, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, August 5, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, August 6.

The Pickford Historical Society just finished the first phase of the museum project, which included outside restoration work. The building has a new, historically accurate flat roof, which will make the building eligible for historic building designation. The building was the former Lipsett Hardware store, built in 1912. It later became Harrison Hardware. According to the Historical Society, Pickford in the early 1900s was a community of five blacksmith shops, a theater, hotel, drug store, doctor’s office, livery stable, flour and feed mill, woolen mill, lumber yard, bank, grocery, dry goods, and weekly newspaper and print shop. The hardware store figured prominently in the community’s Main Street business district, and even sold automobiles. An elevator that moved between the three floors of the hardware building brought the automobiles from the lower and upper levels to the main, “street level,” said Jay Leach, president of the Historical Society.

Pickford’s early settlers were primarily from Ontario, arriving by flat bottom boat up the Munuscong River to Sterlingville Landing, approximately one mile north of Pickford, or they walked from Sault Ste. Marie. The Pickford Historical Society was founded when Pickford celebrated its centennial in 1977, marking 100 years since settlers staked their claim in the Munuscong River valley. Some of the original members of the Historical Society reorganized in 1997 and the organization received non-profit status last December.

The Society bought the former hardware store, a 40-foot by 100-foot commercial building on Main Street, to be restored as a museum. It has two full floors for exhibits, plus a basement for storage and a workshop. Since they purchased the building about three years ago, volunteers have been busy cleaning out the building and removing partitions installed by a previous owner. The work revealed a historic stamped tin ceiling above the main floor, wooden flooring on all floors, a carved wooden staircase, and other architectural treasures.

Northern Restoration of Traverse City, brick and mortar specialists, cleaned and restored the brick and masonry exterior. The building is made of brick from a former brick factory in Rudyard. A crack in the side of the building was repaired, and an expansion joint was added to accommodate the normal shifting of the building with age.

The rear windows of the building were replaced by volunteers, and the windows and door at the front of the building were replaced by a contractor. Paint and tar were removed from the outside of the building, which was also waterproof sealed.

The front of the building now more closely resembles what the storefront looked like 90 years ago.

“With Phase I basically complete, we are now in the planning stage to implement Phase II,” Mr. Leach said. “This planning will include consultation services through the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, and an ongoing capital campaign, in conjunction with exploring grant opportunities.”

The Society has raised $53,000 toward its goal of $100,000 in the capital campaign. The money will be used as matching funds for future grants.

Once the museum work is complete, the Pickford Historical Society will be able to complete its mission to collect and preserve objects, artifacts, oral histories, and written and filmed documents relating to the history of the Pickford area for the purpose of exhibitions, education, and research.

The Society has a Web site, where one can see historical and community information, at www.rootsweb.com/~mipahs/home.html.

Additional information on membership, capital funding drive, how to volunteer, early photographs, oral histories, or how to donate articles of historical value can be obtained by contacting the Pickford Area Historical Society at P.O. Box 572, Pickford Michigan 49774, or by visiting the museum at 175 Main Street during Hay Days.