Leechburg Area Museum and Historical Society completes renovations

The oldest house in Leechburg has a new look.

Renovations to multiple rooms and exterior areas of the Leechburg Area Museum and Historical Society, housed in the home originally constructed in 1840 by Leechburg's founder David Leech, began last winter, necessitating a temporary museum closure.

The museum re-opened with a fresh look over the Memorial Day weekend.

A lot has changed at the museum since last fall, says museum board member James Wright. “We were in need of repairs. Tiles were lifting off of the floor, walls had cracks in them and rugs were worn in spots. The small porch had rotting floor boards and stairs. This was a safety concern.”

A volunteer group of about a dozen worked about six months, utilizing donated funds specifically earmarked for renovations.

“We were able to hold the cost of the renovations down significantly by having the officers of the board, friends and present and former board members do the labor,” Wright says.

Five rooms were remodeled, redesigned and made brighter with the installation of track lighting, says museum president Judy Wright. The dark paneling is gone.

Originally gifted to David Leech's son, David F. Leech, as a wedding gift, the house was purchased by the museum society in 1991 from Dr. Courtney Bishoff.

Nearly 20 rooms occupying two floors offer museum visitors a glimpse into Leechburg's history. The collection includes era clothing, artifacts, a school sports room, a comprehensive collection of Leechburg Advance newspapers (on microfilm), furniture, paintings, photographs and more.

“The renovations are totally amazing,” says genealogy researcher and frequent museum visitor Lorraine Valenta.

Other improvements included ripping out the old carpeting and refinishing the original yellow pine and hickory wood floors that were underneath, remodeling the main office area and dining room, adding additional displays, installing a stair lift and revamping the historical/vintage garment room. “The original floors are a part of the house's history, so why not show it?” Judy Wright says.

Visitors have especially noticed the gleaming wood floors and think they are new, she adds. “We have to tell them they are original to the house and explain that we didn't go out and buy new flooring. Visitors that have been here before comment on how bright and organized the museum is now.”

Exterior improvements completed include painting the facade with an historically accurate color. Paint chips were gathered from different locations from the home, examined under a microscope and analyzed. The results indicated the earliest trim colors on the home were deep greens.

Volunteers note they often have people ask “I didn't know Leechburg had a museum, where is it?”

The newly mounted large bold sign hanging near the outside entrance spelling out MUSEUM should solve that problem.

Joyce Hanz is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.