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EAGLE LAKE – A $10,200 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority will help the Prairie Edge Museum repair water damage and improve the appearance of its building in Eagle Lake.
The Community Development Partnership Program, along with $2,550 in matching funds from the museum, will enable the museum to replace rotting wood damaged by massive roof leaks, add new interior ceiling tiles and upgrade lighting on its historical displays to LED lights.
Museum Treasurer Christine Owen said the improvements will help protect the history of Eagle Lake and Colorado County for years to come.
“This work needs to be done because the outside of the building is the first thing visitors see and it needs repairs to make it more appealing,” Owen said. “Once you step inside you want to enjoy the historical displays, but that’s hard to do right now with damaged ceiling tiles and display lights not working.” The museum, originally built in 1926, served as a Ford dealership until 1983. The museum is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and features extensive displays of farm equipment and tools used on local farms, a replica blacksmith shop, an original train caboose and more historical treasures.
“History is important, especially to the families in this town,” Owen said. “They get a thrill seeing historical items that may have belonged to their grandparents, so we want to make sure the museum is inviting, and the displays look as good as possible.”
To cover its operating expenses, the museum runs a popular thrift shop twice a month. Without the grant, Owen said, the museum would have had to use its endowment fund and profits from the thrift shop to make the repairs, which would divert funds needed to keep the museum running.
“We are very grateful for the LCRA and this grant,” she said. “We are proud of our museum, and we want to continue to share the rich history of our community.”
The community grant is one of 45 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.
