The pillars and windows at the Sweetwater County Historical Museum will be the focus of some renovation work in the future.
The glaze used on the building’s windows was damaged as a result of the June hail storm, while ice melt is being blamed for the deterioration impacting the building’s pillars. According to Brie Blasi, executive director of the museum, said the pillars, as well as the stone tiles used for the museum’s steps, are made from a composite stone. Beneath the hardened exterior stone is mostly sandstone, which easily deteriorates when exposed to de-icing salts. However, chemical compounds and vicious storms aren’t the only reasons cited for the gradual deterioration, the age of the building itself comes into play as well. The museum originally was Green River’s post office, constructed in 1930.
County commissioner Don Van Matre, who serves as the commissioners’ liaison to the county-appointed museum board, said the county should address those building issues soon.
“There are some issues there the commission should address sooner rather than later,” he said.
Blasi said the county is researching de-icing compounds more friendly to the stone work outside the building and believes storm windows, placed outside the original glazed glass window panes, would protect the historic glass once they’re reglazed. Blasi said installing storm windows outside of original glass is a common practice for historic buildings and helps preserve the original look of a building. The windows would also have the added benefit of making the museum more energy efficient, leaking less heat in the winter and cool air in the summer.
While the museum will require work, it isn’t the only project Blasi faces. Recently, residents have complained about graffiti appearing on the outside of the Reliance Tipple. The tipple is one of the most iconic structures in Sweetwater County, originally used to load coal into Union Pacific trains from the nearby mines. The steel tipple currently standing is the second tipple built in Reliance and was completed in 1936. It is one of only two tipples left in Wyoming, and the only steel tipple in the state. The U.P. donated the tipple to the Sweetwater County Historical Museum in the late 1980s, more than 30 years after the company abandoned it in 1955. With it, the company also donated $9,000 for the tipple’s maintenance.
A fence was built around the structure that has become damaged and easily bypassed by teens. Graffiti has been a problem at the tipple for a number of years, but Blasi said outdoor graffiti has become a more recent problem at the historical site, with much of the initial graffiti occurring inside the structure. While graffiti itself is problematic for the site, a more serious matter revolves around how dangerous the tipple is. While the structure continues to stand, much of the metal used in its construction has rusted and bent metal and unmaintained walkways could injure an adventurous trespasser.
“We need to make sure the property is safe and clean,” Blasi said.
Blasi believes the fencing should be repaired and reinforced to deter would-be graffiti artists from accessing the tipple. She also believes hidden cameras would help catch people trying to destroy or climb over the fence while improved signs around the property would warn against trespassing. The costs for these improvements would total approximately $5,500 and would be paid for using the donated funds from the U.P., which Blasi said has grown to about $13,000 after it was invested in a CD.
While the structure can be secured, the fact that the iconic Sweetwater County structure is the target for vandalism is a point commissioner Wally Johnson lamented Tuesday morning.
“It’s a shame it’s not respected more than it is,” Johnson said.
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