A renovation effort will finally pass after the Matheson History Museum received a $300,000 state historic preservation grant.
The Florida Department of State has allocated $300,000 for the renovation of the former Melting Pot restaurant, located at 418 E. University Ave. The grant will go toward the renovation of the exterior building to transform it into a library archive and community meeting space, said Peggy Macdonald, the executive director at the Matheson History Museum.
Betsy Albury, the board president, submitted the application for the grant in the fall of 2014. Albury led a team of Matheson board members and members of the community in applying for the grant.
“It’s almost like writing a book,” Macdonald said. “Every detail of the renovation had to be included down to every last nut and bolt.”
The museum was chosen based on a list of criteria that included economic impact and whether their proposal fulfilled all the requirements for the preservation grant.
Architect Jay Reeves contributed the preliminary sketches for the renovations.
“They were truly a work of art,” Macdonald said. “We have them on display at the museum.”
With the new renovations ahead, Macdonald said there are a lot of internship opportunities for students available. Some of the internships include history, museum studies, library studies and communications.
“We would love it if we could work on some video projects on the history of Gainesville and Alachua County,” Macdonald said. “There will also be editing opportunities in publishing.”
Macdonald explained that the museum will be reviving an old press that will need writers for possible publication.
There will be volunteer opportunities of all different commitment levels from students willing to work for an extended period of time to those wanting to work for only a couple of hours per week.
“We really have exciting opportunities for everyone.”
