Improvements at the Museum
The Historical Association has just completed major work at the old Soddy Bank building. We had applied for a grant with the State of Tennessee Museum in Nashville last October, and we were awarded most of the money we applied for.
Two of the most important items we wanted this money for was to replace the old heating/cooling system and also to put a new roof on the 103-year-old bank building. So, we were given over $38,000 for these improvements and Monday or Tuesday these two changes will have been completed. We are waiting on Action Air to run the gas line from the heat pump to the new natural gas meter which was just installed on Thursday.
The old roof was taken off to show major water damage from leaking for the last 21 years since the last rubber roof work was installed. This work included the replacement of 17 rotted roof rafters, 22 pieces of 3/4" plywood and 42 pieces of 7/16" plywood, new two-inch insulation, and last a new rubber roof. All of these unknown but necessary roof repairs added almost $6,000 to the estimate to complete the work, but we had asked for more money, just for the possibility of this happening. After everything was completed, it appears we will owe about $1, 400 over the amount we received from the grant. This is not bad considering the scope of the work on the roof and a new heating/cooling system.
