Preserving the Museum for the Next 100 Years
Museum Roof Repair Update - How you can help
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The evening of Mother’s Day, 10 May 2026, the museum experienced a large roof leak that damaged the gift shop, wildlife exhibit, and soaked many of the rugs on the north side. We peeled back some of the tin where the leak seemed to be concentrated at, and discovered that much of the wood used to make the trusses that supports the roof were rotten, missing cross bracing, as well as some of the roof sheathing was damaged and some pieces had been replaced over the years.
After further examination, much of the trusses were sagging, and the support beams were inadequate to support the roof. The roof framing is over 100 years old and as could be expected with a very old structure, major repair is needed. After consulting with the Lampasas City Building inspector, we developed a plan to repair the roof, and improve the support posts and beams holding the roof safely in place. To repair the damaged and rotten wood trusses required the removal of the tin ceiling. All the trusses have been shored up with new lumber and painted brown. The tin will not be replaced and the space will be left open. The wood frame “walls” pictured are temporary supports for the centerline of the trusses. To help support the roof for the next 100 years, we are installing 8 x 8 fir beams and support posts throughout the museum. The museum has been emptied to allow work. The wildlife mural survived and the bank safe and safety deposit boxes remained in place, too heavy to move. This all sounds like bad news, but this is also an opportunity to update the exhibits and display more of Lampasas County history. Not only are we spending to repair and improve the structure of the museum, but we will also need continued support. We will provide weekly updates of our progress. Donations can be made by PayPal, Square, Venmo, or at First Texas Bank of Lampasas. |
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