Renovation planned for old fair building

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Although thousands of fair visitors used to pass before its windows, what is known as the fair treasurer’s office has sat abandoned for decades, ever since the fair’s main entrance was moved from the northeast corner of the fairgrounds to a more centralized location.

Now, a volunteer group (actually, a duo so far) is working to restore the pre-World War II building so it can be used as a repository for fair memorabilia, among other things.

The volunteers, who call themselves “the Garys” — Gary Showalter and Gary Kiracofe — became interested in the project when Showalter noticed the fact that thousands of vehicles pass by the now neglected corner each day along South Washington Street (U.S. 127) and that the corner could be a source of advertising for the fair.

“…I came out and said ‘Okay, I’ve got 230 pounds of training weight on me, and unless someone takes me down and beats me three out of five, I’m going to fix this corner up and use it for more advertising,’” Showalter said.

Unfortunately, in addition to The Garys’ sweat equity, some money would also be needed to fix up the dilapidated concrete building once used as a ticket booth for the thousands of people who attended the fair, starting in the early 1940s. Plans are to paint and reseal the building, add a new liner on the roof and replace the windows.

Completed in July 1941, just months before America entered World War II, the poured concrete building — which is nearly a twin to the ticket booth at Eggerss Stadium, Van Wert’s football stadium — was planned as a public works project near the end of the Great Depression, but was later built with private funds after the WPA rejected it. Hisey & Bebout, local contractors at the time, did the work.

Today, it would take more money ($1,500) than the building’s original $1,250 construction price just to repair the roof. Although Fair Board President Dave Evans admits that it wouldn’t take a large amount of cash to fix the building up, it’s still more than the cash-strapped Fair Board can spare for a building that won’t likely generate income.

Showalter said others also plan to donate time and effort to renovate the building. Matthew Temple, an art instructor at Wassenberg Art Center, has offered his time and that of his students to paint boards that would be placed over the building’s windows until enough money is raised to for window replacement. Showalter said the artists will paint fair scenes or faux ticket takers on the boards to spruce up the building. After “The Garys” — both proud members of Van Wert High School’s Class of 1974 — get done scraping the outside of the building, local painter Don Putt of Pro Painters has agreed to paint the exterior for free.

Meanwhile, Evans said making the building renovation a community project is appropriate, since any county resident that purchases a Van Wert County Agricultural Society membership ticket becomes a part owner of the fairgrounds — which includes the old ticket booth.

Fair Director Ann Marshall said plans are to put the renovated building to good use as a fair museum: a place to house the large amount of fair memorabilia collected over the years. The building already houses a Civil War-era safe that held fair receipts for many years until daily bank deposits were made. Some Wassenberg artwork could also be displayed inside the building, Showalter said, adding he hopes to have the building at least mostly done by the start of this year’s fair in late August.

Those who want to help can do so by calling the Fair Office at 419.238.9270. Donations can be marked “for the old treasurer’s office” and sent to the Van Wert County Agricultural Society.