Keeping up w/LIW Historic Home and Museum

This happened today at 1:00 pm.  Wishing I had gone over there, but can always visit during the construction and see how things are coming along.

Taken from Laura's front porch.


What it will look like when finished.




Construction begins on new Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum~~Video

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.-- -
Friday was an exciting day in Mansfield, honoring a well known author;  It was the groundbreaking for the new Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum.

"I can hardly stand still!" says Jean Coday, Director of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home Association and Museum.  Coday has dreamed for years about a new museum at Rocky Ridge Farm.

Jean Coday has been involved with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home Association and Museum since she came to Mansfield in 1960 and can hardly wait to give all Laura's treasures a new home.  "We feel it's a responsibility.  She is a treasure, not only to us, but to children all over the world who read her books, so now, we're going to have a really nice place to keep them," says Coday.

They've raised one-million dollars over the last several years, the design is done, and the dirt has begun.  Mansfield resident Taylor Short says, "I've always thought that the museum needed a bit more expansion and ideas, so I think that it'll be really really great to see what this will turn out to be like."

"We're just excited about it, and it's going to be a historic project here in Mansfield, Missouri," says Tim Bartholomew of Federal Construction, which is building the museum.

The building will be state of the art to help preserve Laura's treasures, yet rustic.  "We're hoping people will see the resemblance with a barn, because this is a farm," says Coday.

The museum site is just down the hill from the Laura Ingalls Wilder house, and once the museum is complete, their future goal is to turn this whole area back into a farmyard like it would have been when Laura lived here.

"Children need to learn about how people lived a long time ago, because that's what Laura was all about.  She was a pioneer girl, and she wrote about how she lived as a little girl," Coday says.

"I'm proud of my community, because not everybody can take that claim to fame, that they have a little bit of Laura Ingalls Wilder with them," Short says.

Crews hope to finish construction by the end of this year, and the museum hopes to have its grand opening by this time next Spring.

Coday says they've received a $200,000 USDA grant to provide furnishings in the museum, but they can always use more help.  If you'd like to help support the new museum, visit the website here.

Very nice Rhonda! I would love to visit the museum someday. Do you live near to where they are building it?

I'm 30 miles away from Laura's Rocky Ridge Farm....

Wow, so I guess you can keep us all posted on the progress!

Thanks for the link! I am not on Facebook, but I bookmarked the page so I can find it again.

OH, OK...You can also visit their website, and hopefully see updates there.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Home

Thanks, I bookmarked that as well. So is this eventually going to replace the current museum that is there?

Yes, once they get this one finished; projected time is next Spring, they will transfer everything over to the bigger building. If you notice, the new building is modeled after a barn. They hope to turn the Rocky Ridge Farm back into the farm that Almanzo and Laura had, a working farm. Apple trees, garden, etc.

That would be great if they turn it back into a working farm. The way it was and should be!

How neat. I didn't know they were doing this.

From: Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum

"Week 2 of our new museum going up. It'a all in the prep. work. Getting the ground work done so the foundation can begin. Here is a picture looking up at Laura Ingalls Wilder Home from the work site. We are asking for donations to take Rocky Ridge Farm back to how it was set up and operating in the early 1900's."  CLICK TO MAKE DONATION

Wow!

Well, just as long as they get it finished by 2017. That is when I was planning on making a trip back there.

Week 3 : The construction site is busy pouring concrete. We are moving forward.

Very nice! I can't wait to see it when it is all finished.

From Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum:

Week 4 of construction site and we are moving along. Retaining wall is poured and forms removed

Nice to see it moving along!

Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum  

"Here we are week 5 of our new museum. One taken from the road and the other from Laura Ingalls Wilder front lawn."

Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum  

"Here we are at week 6 of our new museum,  and the walls are going up.

It's nice to see progress!

Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum  

"Here we are at week 7 of our new museum,  and the walls are progressing along.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum
"We are at week Eight on our museum construction. The trusses are being put into place."