By Steven Litt
Western Reserve Historical Society Library remains closed following a fire that occurred late last month. The basement of the brick four-story building was damaged by soot and smoke, and archival material in it had been affected.
The fire started early in the morning of Sept. 28, but no one was hurt. As the Historical Society assesses and costs of repair and preservation of damaged material, the library will be closed from 6-9 months. This is according to Kelly Falcone Hall, President and CEO at the University Circle Institution since 2014.
The historical society opened regular exhibits and programs at its complex located at 10825 East Blvd. on Sept. 29. This institution houses local treasures such as the Euclid Park Grand Carousel and the neon Cleveland Indians wahoo sign. It also has a collection of vintage cars.
Falcone-Hall, who said that this was her first interview with the media, said: “I am disappointed and I’m going through an emotional period.”
She said, “It is our library.” She said, “Even though no one was hurt and we did not lose any collections but there is an emotional attachment because it’s the place where our history lives.”
Falcone-Hall stated that Cleveland firefighters responded in less than five minutes to an alarm caused by a fire which started inside a basement where volunteers were processing archive materials. These materials are then sorted, classed, indexed, and stored in archive boxes.
Falcone-Hall reported that water from sprinklers and firehoses poured directly onto documents laid out on a basement table.
The Chicago Conservation Center is working closely with the Historical Society to develop plans for preserving the documents that are damaged. They have been stored in refrigerator trucks to reduce physical damage.
Ann Sindelar is the reference supervisor at the library. She said there were about 100 boxes containing records, which she described as a fraction of their total collection. Sindelar explained that the library refused to reveal the nature of these documents as it hadn’t yet reached out to all donors.
Falcone-Hall explained that, despite the fact that the fire had been contained in a corner of the cellar, the cleanup and deodorizing of four floors would still be necessary. The grime on the archival boxes in the library is everywhere. She said that if you ran your hands over the box, it was like dust but with a hint of soot.
Two years ago, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation funded a $3-million renovation project of the library.
Falcone-Hall stated that the historical society contacted community groups to inform them of the fire. The institution has relocated its administrative staff to Hanna Mansion in the complex of East Boulevard. The historical society has also partnered with Belfor Property Restoration, a Cleveland-based company.
A new emergency plan had just been completed for the historic society. The fire happened within weeks. This project had to do with the historical society’s quest for accreditation by the American Association of Museums (an organization which sets professional standards). Falcone-Hall stated that the emergency plan detailed the steps taken after the fire.
Falcone-Hall stated, “We are the stewards who have taken care of so many of the historical artifacts in Northeast Ohio.” I have to look at the big picture. In the future, we’ll be much better. Other storms have passed us by. “That’s the way we look at this event.”
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