I was president of the Alliance for Historical Preservation for a number of years. We were based in Frisco. We raised the $5,000 that procured the first drinking fountain on Main Street (antique looking at the museum park) and contributed $8,000 to the train exhibit at the park. We also moved the Badger House at a cost of $15,000, though it was later torn down without notice by the owner. The Excelsior building was our No. 1 priority but was not available to us. We still have almost $10,000 of the money that we raised to move it. We would be happy to give this (and raise more, if needed) to the town if:
• The office building is not “homogenized” or “improved” in such a way that it would not be recognizable as it is in historic photos.
• The office building is moved to the triangle park to become a basic visitor center, and the office space the town is seeking could be moved to the Old Town Hall where the current visitor center is. (The Excelsior would not look good next to Town Hall.)
• We would also consider a project to have volunteers refurbish it and place a “mine office” sign on it according to old photos. Then a plaque could be placed on the outside to give its history. I believe we could do this quickly and efficiently if the building were placed in the triangle.
We might not have enough money to bring it up to code, and would need help with that part from the town.