WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Local leaders and representatives from the Marathon County Historical Society gathered in a vacant lot at 1009 North 3rd Street to break ground for the John and Carolyn Sonnentag Archive Center.
MCHS Executive Director Blake Opal-Wahoske says the project will bring a needed expansion for the group. “This building is going to help us for years to come, to preserve all of the one-of-a-kind items that we have at the Marathon County Historical Society. At least for the next 50 years,” he said.
The MCHS ran out of space at the current Woodson History Center last year when they took in a man-operated switchboard from the former Mosinee Telephone Company. Additionally, the building doesn’t have the proper features to store some items safely. “This building will not only allow us to actively collect again, but is state-of-the-art for preservation best practices. We have old film reels that cannot be at room temperature because they will deteriorate. So we will have a chill room to stabilize [those items] for years to come. We will have humidity control, temperature control, and dust control. This enables us to be good stewards of history and make sure generations to come can benefit from these items.
“We are completely out of space. We have everything from large objects [to] thousands upon thousands of photos and business records,” added Opal-Wahoske.
Groundbreaking for the John and Carolyn Sonnentag Archive Center in Wausau. MWC Photo by Mike Leischner
Exhibits and programming will remain at the current Woodson History Center on McIndoe Street. All storage will move to the Sonnentag Center, which will also give the group more flexibility with displays and programming in the future.
The project was announced just over one year ago. Opal-Wahoske says full construction will begin immediately, with a ribbon-cutting expected next spring.
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