Bonner County museum hosts open house on proposed improvements

By Soncirey Mitchell
Reader Staff

The Bonner County Historical Society will hold an open house on Monday, Nov. 10, from 4-7 p.m. at the museum in Lakeview Park (611 S. Ella Ave. in Sandpoint) to gather input on proposed improvements to the building and grounds. Volunteers and staff will give tours of the 45-year-old building, which they hope to shore up and expand to better accommodate the museum’s ever-growing collection.

The museum is in need of several costly repairs, including a new roof and HVAC system to ensure the collection of more than 400,000 artifacts is properly preserved. The BCHS board hopes to couple those repairs with a series of renovations and expansions that would eliminate the need for offsite storage, create more space for community educational programs and ensure that the collection and displays are easily accessible. The current proposal would initially add 1,500 square feet and a new HVAC system, then later add another 2,700 square feet and alter the museum’s layout.

The BCHS is seeking feedback on how the community would like to utilize the space. To view the proposed improvements to the museum and give online feedback, visit bonnercountyhistory.org/expansion-plans.

“Our museum is a place where Bonner County’s stories live,” said BCHS Board of Trustees President Tonya Sherman. “As we plan for the future, we want our community to be part of the conversation — after all, this is your museum.”

All improvements are still in the planning stage; however, necessary repairs are also on hold as the BCHS attempts to renew the museum’s 40-year lease with the city of Sandpoint. The original 1979 lease agreement signed by both parties stipulated that the museum would pay $1 per year in rent and “shall have the option to renew this lease for a like period on each successive termination.” 

The museum has made several attempts since 2019 to renew the lease without success, and the Sandpoint City Council has yet to vote to either approve or deny the renewal. In May, Sandpoint approached the museum with a new 30-year lease without a renewal clause, which the museum did not accept.

Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm told the Reader on Sept. 10 that the city “does not support an automatic renewal” of the lease because the museum should be “subject to periodic review to ensure it continues to serve the public interest.”

Sherman has publicly acknowledged those concerns, but has argued that they do not apply to a nonprofit civic organization like the museum, which exists to serve Bonner County residents and visitors. 

“This new lease dismantled the partnership [between BCHS and Sandpoint] and reduced Bonner County Historical Society to a short-term tenant,” said Sherman at the Sept. 6 City Council meeting. “Thirty years may sound like a very long time, but we’re talking about a historical society. We’re planning for the next 99 years right now.”

For more information on the historical society and museum, call 208-263-2344 or visit visitbonnercountyhistory.org.