Historical Society Purchases Jaycee Hall
LOCK HAVEN – Project backers call it a “win-win,” the Clinton County Historical Society’s acquisition of the Gary G. Tarr Jaycees Memorial Hall on E. Water Street, just across the alley from the Society’s Heisey Museum.
The Lock Haven Area Jaycees had been financially struggling in recent years, the future of its longtime Water Street home in jeopardy.
But Monday the historical society went next door to the Lugg law offices and joined Jaycee officials for the society’s purchase of the Jaycee building, the cost $1, the Jaycees in return with a 10-year lease to continue to operate its community service efforts from the basement of the historic structure.
Project backers said society board member Richard Morris had suggested to local businessman Stephen Poorman that both agencies would benefit from the society’s acquisition of the building.
Monday’s closing marked the end of a six month effort which will provide the society with needed additional display and storage space; the Jaycees will be relieved of the financial burden of maintaining the former Lutheran church structure which had been sitting mostly vacant since the departure of the STEP Office of Aging.
A society release said Poorman and his wife Pamela made a cash contribution to assist with restoration costs and additional details regarding the use and project development will be released in the future.
The Jaycees hall has a long history. According to Historic Lock Haven, an Architectural History, the building was initially the Great Island Presbyterian Church, a Greek Revival style structure built in1850; at the time it was considered the most beautiful church in the area. The Presbyterians sold the church to the Lutheran congregation in 1863.
