CRIDERSVILLE, Ohio (WLIO) — The Cridersville Historical Society marked a major step toward expansion Monday as Apollo Career Center’s Construction Equipment Technology students began demolition on property next to the museum.
The society recently purchased the neighboring lot to make way for a 2,500-square-foot addition. The expansion will provide more room to display larger artifacts and share more of Cridersville’s history with the community. The partnership proved mutually beneficial. Students gained hands-on training while the historical society moved forward with its project in a cost-effective way.
“We’re going to be excavating, so we’re tearing down the building, just trying to get it down to the ground, and then we’re going to be breaking up concrete,” said senior student Evan Wehri. “We’re going to be doing all sorts of different stuff with our equipment, and getting all that good experience for whenever we’re out of school, for the workforce.”
Classmate Nolan Sites agreed. “It’s a great opportunity, helps us for when we want a job after school, and just teaches us what we need to know and how to do it,” he said.
Historical society president Greg Myers said the partnership with Apollo saved money while keeping the project on schedule.
“It was suggested that we reach out to Apollo’s construction trade class and see whether or not they’d be able to do it for us. And when we did, they were very excited about the opportunity, and we’re very, very grateful,” Myers said. “Our costs are minimal, just the actual fuel costs and the dumpster containers, so it allows us to have more money available for the expansion than for the demolition.”
Myers said the society has run out of space and hopes to announce a fundraising campaign soon to support the addition.
