Granger House museum gets upgrade

Have you heard of Lake Granger?

If not, that's because it's not a real lake at all - it's the name staff and volunteers at the Granger House in Marion jokingly give the museum's side yard after it rains.

Unfortunately, the grassy area also has served as the historic home's primary parking area. For years, the space has become a soggy mess after wet weather, often making parking impossible or discouraging prospective visitors. The challenge has been especially difficult for older patrons who couldn't walk from surrounding streets.

'There's nothing worse than knowing a visitor has gone home because they couldn't find someplace to park,” said museum Director Kathy Wilson.

But soon, thanks to ongoing renovations at the historic home, there will be proper parking spots. There also will be improvements to address water drainage issues on the property, along with new garden spaces and flowers.

The upgrades are being done with an eye to history. Bricks that will pave the parking lot are salvaged historic bricks donated by the city of Marion, which was ripping them up during a street restoration project. Another nod to history: The project incorporates limestone, which connects to the Granger family, who lived in the house for almost 100 years. The Grangers once owned a limestone quarry on the edge of town.

'We're getting a piece of Marion's history,” Wilson said.

The new flower beds and planters are being designed by Linn County Master Gardeners, who have researched flowers that would have been popular for Eastern Iowa gardens at the time the Granger family lived in the home.

'The goal is to improve our curb appeal,” Wilson said.

That hopefully will bring in more visitors. Wilson says visitors to the museum, which is owned by the Marion Historical Society, can see not just what a middle-class Iowa home looked like in the late 1800s, but can learn how the emerging middle-class citizens of the Granger's era helped shape how we live today. 'We're trying very hard to make the past relevant,” she said.

Wilson also wants people to see the home as a potential events venue, something that will be more feasible with the new parking area.

The outdoor renovation is expected to cost around $40,000 - down from an initial estimate of $65,000, said museum board member Don Meritt, because of volunteers who have donated more than 1,000 hours of work. The project should be done by fall.

Once outdoor renovations are done, restoration will focus on the property's buildings. It will be funded primarily through grants and donations, such as a grant from the Linn County Board of Supervisors, meant to cover new paint and repairing damaged woodwork and windows and other improvements.

To help keep the restorations moving, the museum will hold a fundraiser Saturday with local musicians The Beggermen and Brandi and Marc Janssen, along with ice cream and other treats. Wilson hopes the musicians will draw a crowd.

If you go

'What:

Fundraiser for the Granger House, featuring The Beggermen and Marc and Brandi Janssen

'When

: 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday

'Where

: Granger House, 970 10th St., Marion

'Cost:

$5 to $10