Group proposes leaving structure behind museum

NEWMAN - The City Council will take a second look at its plans for the historic Yancey Lumber building later this month at the request of the Newman Historical Society.

Historians went before the council recently to ask that the building be restored where it currently stands behind the Newman Museum rather than being moved to the downtown plaza in future years.

The building was moved from Yancey Lumber Co. to the city property about seven years ago, and has since been the subject of debate about where and how the historic structure can best be used.

The council appeared to have settled the matter two years ago when it rejected a staff proposal to leave the building behind the museum, restore it and develop a park-like setting.

Council members at the time reaffirmed their commitment to showcasing the building as part of the second phase of the downtown plaza - although there was no firm indication of exactly how the building would be used.

The building is a piece of Newman’s rich history, said local historian Mary Moore.

Moore, the president of the Newman Historical Society, said the building was part of a lumber yard in the once-thriving community of Hills Ferry before being moved to Newman in 1893, five years after the town was founded.

“They put it on skids and horses pulled it into town,” she explained. “They put the building at the end of the rail line, where the turntable for the train was.”

But that piece of history is rapidly deteriorating, historians said, and they would like to intervene before  the building is beyond restoration.

The first phase of the downtown plaza was scheduled to break ground this week, more than a decade after the project was first proposed. It will be located on the downtown city parking lot, and extend east to the highway. There is no time table for development of the second phase, which will encompass the area near the intersection of Highway 33 and Fresno Street.

“Nothing has been done to the building, and it is looking bad. We don’t know when Phase II is going to start, and if it sits another five years it will be in worse shape. It needs to be worked on now before it completely deteriorates,” Moore told Mattos Newspapers.

The local historians envision a restored Yancey building becoming an extension of the museum.

The building would be ideal to showcase historic furniture and clothing, Moore pointed out, and could serve as a meeting place for the growing Historical Society.

The historical group would also like to see the farm equipment stored behind the museum restored and put on display to showcase the region’s farming roots.

Other amenities such as grass and benches could help transform the area behind the museum into an attractive, functional location, Moore said.

Historians believe that grant funds may be available to restore the Yancey building. Those grants, however, would most likely come with the stipulation that the restored structure not be moved from the site.

The City Council is expected to discuss the Historical Society request at its July 27 meeting.