Historical Society plans restoration of Colony murals
Lead Summary
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The Highland County Historical Society is hoping a recent find at the Colony Theater can be used as a way to help raise funds for the restoration of the murals that were recently saved at the Colony Theater.
The project to save the murals and store them until they can – hopefully – be fully restored in buildings around the community is so far a resounding success.
Many have expressed their appreciation for the extensive effort to save these reliefs that depict all the human civilizations through time. Now, through another find at the Colony Theater, the Society hopes people will help cover at least a portion of the costs of this project.
When the discussions about razing the Colony Theatre became more than a rumor, Avery Applegate asked the Board of Trustees for permission to represent the Society with the city administration.
Applegate was there as engineers and city officials toured the facility and as everyone agreed that the building, as it stood, would be lost. Then, communications about saving the façade began. These discussions led to a laborious project to save items in the theater, including the iconic murals, before any demolition took place. The Society, and the community at-large are indebted to Applegate’s foresight and effort.
The planning led to another ambitious effort to save the murals that hovered over those who attended a movie or event at the Colony. Applegate asked a other Society board members including Jim Rooney, Tim Koehl and John Kellis to assist her. The group set out to carefully remove the murals and their wooden frames. Those items have been securely packed them away. Now, the Society is working to find new homes for these murals.
During the project, many items of interest were saved like the Chakeres Theater letters that were over the doorways, grates and art deco items that adorned the theater. A number of large 11-inch high heavy steel (enamel-covered) letters used to announce coming events on the Colony’s original marquee also were located.
The group felt that many people who frequented the Colony would be interested in having a keepsake from those days. The letter are being cleaned and prepared for sale at the Highland House Museum. Interest is pretty high, but the cost of cleaning these letter alone is more than the $10 charge being asked for each letter. Some letters are close to becoming exhausted and all sales are on a first-come, first-served basis.
The cost of the letters are set at and will remain $10 per letter; but the project costs are substantial, and the group would like to let everyone know that one way to help would be to make an additional donation to the Colony Theater Mural Restoration Project.
Anything given over and above the $10 cost of the letters should be noted as a donation to the Mural Project. Those extra donations are tax-deductible and will help restore the murals and cover the Society’s costs. Many have jumped on the opportunity to own one or more of these letters from Facebook posts and by word of mouth. Whether you have already secured your letter(s) or whether you are planning to do so, please consider a donation to the project.
Come in and get your memento, and help us see this project to its conclusion. The letters are available at the Highland House Museum gift shop, which is open from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The gift shop is stocked full of other books, prints, memorabilia and historic items available for the Christmas season.
Donations can be sent to: Colony Mural Restoration Project, in care of HCHS, 151 East Main Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133.
The project to save the murals and store them until they can – hopefully – be fully restored in buildings around the community is so far a resounding success.
Many have expressed their appreciation for the extensive effort to save these reliefs that depict all the human civilizations through time. Now, through another find at the Colony Theater, the Society hopes people will help cover at least a portion of the costs of this project.
When the discussions about razing the Colony Theatre became more than a rumor, Avery Applegate asked the Board of Trustees for permission to represent the Society with the city administration.
Applegate was there as engineers and city officials toured the facility and as everyone agreed that the building, as it stood, would be lost. Then, communications about saving the façade began. These discussions led to a laborious project to save items in the theater, including the iconic murals, before any demolition took place. The Society, and the community at-large are indebted to Applegate’s foresight and effort.
The planning led to another ambitious effort to save the murals that hovered over those who attended a movie or event at the Colony. Applegate asked a other Society board members including Jim Rooney, Tim Koehl and John Kellis to assist her. The group set out to carefully remove the murals and their wooden frames. Those items have been securely packed them away. Now, the Society is working to find new homes for these murals.
During the project, many items of interest were saved like the Chakeres Theater letters that were over the doorways, grates and art deco items that adorned the theater. A number of large 11-inch high heavy steel (enamel-covered) letters used to announce coming events on the Colony’s original marquee also were located.
The group felt that many people who frequented the Colony would be interested in having a keepsake from those days. The letter are being cleaned and prepared for sale at the Highland House Museum. Interest is pretty high, but the cost of cleaning these letter alone is more than the $10 charge being asked for each letter. Some letters are close to becoming exhausted and all sales are on a first-come, first-served basis.
The cost of the letters are set at and will remain $10 per letter; but the project costs are substantial, and the group would like to let everyone know that one way to help would be to make an additional donation to the Colony Theater Mural Restoration Project.
Anything given over and above the $10 cost of the letters should be noted as a donation to the Mural Project. Those extra donations are tax-deductible and will help restore the murals and cover the Society’s costs. Many have jumped on the opportunity to own one or more of these letters from Facebook posts and by word of mouth. Whether you have already secured your letter(s) or whether you are planning to do so, please consider a donation to the project.
Come in and get your memento, and help us see this project to its conclusion. The letters are available at the Highland House Museum gift shop, which is open from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The gift shop is stocked full of other books, prints, memorabilia and historic items available for the Christmas season.
Donations can be sent to: Colony Mural Restoration Project, in care of HCHS, 151 East Main Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133.