First wall switch to be installed in the 1850 Beith House.
Short winter days and the January cold snap have dampened just about everyone’s spirits lately. That is, everyone EXCEPT the staff at Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley! Our days of dreaming of a warm and bright office are just about to end.
The staff of Preservation Partners has worked out of the historic 1850 Beith House in St. Charles since it underwent a significant rehabilitation in the 1980s. The community came together, back then, donating a tremendous amount of time, labor, and money for this special place on the Fox River so that it could remain a steadfast anchor of the city’s history for another 176 years.
Because the rehabilitation was an all-volunteer effort, though, some interior improvements had to be sacrificed. The electrical systems were not upgraded. The HVAC was not extended to all the rooms upstairs, where we manage four museums and preservation efforts in the Tri-Cities.
Soon, though, VERY SOON, our office in the 1850 Beith House will be a whole lot warmer. And brighter!
Workers from McNally’s installing HVAC in one of the upstairs offices of the 1850 Beith House.
Thanks to a significant grant from the Grand Victoria Riverboat Fund administered by the Kane County Government Office of Community Reinvestment, McNally's Heating and Cooling, and Hi-Lite Electric Inc. are hard at work installing new heat/AC and electrical for our offices on the second floor of the Beith House.
Until now, we sort of had heat and air conditioning in two of our three rooms upstairs. Our computers, printer, lamps, and mini-fridge were plugged into a tangle of extension cords stretching to a handful of outlets. We had to unplug something every time we used the microwave to warm our lunches. Cloudy days were, well, very cloudy inside too because there was no overhead lighting. There were no lightswitches, no matter how many times we swiped the walls looking for one when we walked in.
Now our staff won’t have to wear coats in the office and will be able to see what they’re doing!
The contractors have done an extraordinary job navigating the complexities of bringing modern amenities to an 1850 home, proving that it can be done.
So, if in the next few months you happen to walk or drive by the Beith House in the evening and notice lights on, do not be alarmed. We’re just reminding folks that this house still has a lot of life left.
One of the many, many new outlets installed in the upstairs offices of the 1850 Beith House.
Worker from McNally’s bringing HVAC lines to the second floor through one of the closets on the first floor of the 1850 Beith House.
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