Cape museum exhibits interest in city hall

Cape River Heritage Museum, housed in the city's old police and fire station, needs more exhibit space, and city hall could hold the answer.

Longtime museum supporter Jerry Ford said he and others would like to see the museum move into city hall once the city government vacates the building for new quarters at the Common Pleas Courthouse site.

The existing city hall in the 400 block of Independence Street was once Old Lorimier School. It sits just a block from the site of the River Heritage Museum, located at the corner of Independence and Frederick streets.

"We would like to have that building," he said. "It would make a fabulous museum."

Built in 1937 as an elementary school, the city government has used the building as city hall since 1978.

Ford, whose wife, Margaret, is the volunteer director of the River Heritage Museum, said he has "a personal interest" in moving the museum to the former school.

Ford grew up near the school. As president of the school board, he helped negotiate the sale of the school to the city.

"In a personal sense, I would love to have the school back and use it as the museum," he said. "It could be a real showcase."

Ford said, "The building obviously is in great shape. It is brick and steel and terrazzo tile."

He added, "That building would give us the opportunity to have one of the best city museums anywhere."

The current museum, which is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons, is run by volunteers.

"Our mission is to save and protect and showcase the history of the city of Cape Girardeau," he said.

Cape River Heritage Museum has been housed in the former station since 1981. The brick structure, built in 1909, needs major repairs, including a new roof, new soffits and tuck-pointing of the exterior walls, Ford said.

There is no central air conditioning. The museum's papers, vintage clothing and other artifacts would benefit from a climate-controlled environment, Margaret Ford said.

Jerry and Margaret Ford said the museum has more artifacts than space to display them.

Jerry Ford said the old school would make a perfect museum. Poplar Bluff, Missouri, has a museum housed in a former elementary school. So does Hermann, Missouri.

The Old Lorimier School classrooms, which now house city offices, would provide great exhibit space, he said.

The site also has plenty of parking, Jerry Ford said.

There's no elevator in city hall. But Jerry Ford said he believes the museum could raise the money needed to erect an elevator on the outside of the building. Moving into the old school house also could generate more private funding for operation of the museum, he suggested.

Any relocation of the museum would take city approval.

The city government owns the old police and fire station and maintains the exterior. It also pays the utilities. The museum maintains the interior.

Voters extended a parks/stormwater tax last year to fund various projects, including renovations to the River Heritage Museum, budgeted at $200,000, but city manager Scott Meyer said the city doesn't want to spend money renovating the building if the museum plans to relocate.

"If they are going to leave, there is no reason to spend money on it," he said.

"As they get more serious about what they want to do, we will certainly work with them," Meyer said.

With construction needed to renovate and add onto the Common Pleas Courthouse and Annex for a new city hall, Meyer said he doesn't expect the current city hall to be vacated until 2021 at the earliest.

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