The Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society's headquarters will get a $30,000 upgrade to its roof this summer, but the work won't force the closure of the building.

The historical society and the Olde Pickerington Village Association teamed up May 6 to bring back the Chocolate Hop, an event where shoppers visit Olde Pickerington Village and receive free treats at designated stops.

It was the first time the Chocolate Hop has taken place since 2019, with the COVID-19 pandemic wiping out the event for two years.

The event spotlighted a problem at the Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society Museum at 15 E. Columbus St. The building opened in 1916 as a community library built with funds from steel industry titan Andrew Carnegie and the Carnegie Corp.

Amid a heavy rain, vast amounts of water came rushing down an interior wall, according to historical society President Peggy Portier.

"The roof is leaking," Portier said. "At the Chocolate Hop, there was a very big storm and there was water coming in. We normally have a quilt hanging there and if it would have been there at the time, it would've been soaked."

In response, the city of Pickerington, which has owned the building since 1993, has set aside $30,000 for spot repairs.

Finance Director Chris Schornack said the city is soliciting bids for the project and will know more about the full scope of work in coming weeks.

"The $30,000 in appropriations was based on an early estimate we were given so that amount could possibly change, based on forthcoming quotes," Schornack said.

Largely because the repairs can be completed on the exterior of the building, the work isn't expected to affect the public's access to the museum, City Manager Greg Butcher said.

"I am unaware of the roof being replaced since we’ve owned it," he said. "Naturally, there has been periodic maintenance. The city will be responsible for any repairs. The museum continues to operate."

Portier said initial evaluations have suggested repairs are needed in a single section where a rubberized portion of the roof is supposed to form a seal against a brick chimney.

In addition to fixing the seal, the plan is to put caps over a seam where the roof meets an interior wall to keep rain from entering the building. At some point in the future, water damage to the plaster inside will be repaired and a fresh coat of paint will be applied, she said.

"It doesn't look nice, but it won't affect people coming into the museum," Portier said. "We're really happy the city has stepped up and is moving forward to get it fixed.

"Even though it's not necessarily the oldest building in the village, it's still a historic building. We literally think of the building as the center of the Olde Village.

"We don't have that many brick structures like a lot of downtowns do. Ours are mostly wood. We just don't have that many buildings that we can preserve and rehab. We want to keep as many brick structures as we can."

The museum is open about nine months a year. Because the project won't affect attendance at the museum, the historical society is moving forward with plans for its final three events of the summer, all of which will be held 2-4 p.m.

• July 10: Down on the Farm @ the Museum, which will feature broom-making demonstrations, farm implements and how to spin wool.

• Aug. 7: Kids Day at the Museum event where children – and adults – can peruse and play with toys and try on clothes from bygone eras.

​​​​​​​• Sept. 11: 50 Years Ago: A Look Back at the 1970s, will be held Sept. 11. Guests will be able to look at fashions from the 1970s, play games and view memorabilia from movies and television shows from the era. 

"At our museum, the admission is always free," she said.