Gas boilers in front of air handler in the furnace room at The Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum, Little Falls, MN. This system was originally installed when the museum was built in 1974/75, with the gas boilers being an upgrade in the 1990s. Photo taken October 2, 2021.
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Weyerhaeuser Museum Closed October 2021 for HVAC Replacement

Morrison County Historical Society October 2, 2021 No Comments

The Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum, home of the Morrison County Historical Society in Little Falls, MN, will be closed for the month of October 2021. The closure will allow the museum’s HVAC (heating, air conditioning, ventilation) system to be replaced.

Gas boilers in front of air handler in the furnace room at The Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum, Little Falls, MN. This system was originally installed when the museum was built in 1974/75, with the gas boilers being an upgrade in the 1990s. Photo taken October 2, 2021.
Gas boilers in front of air handler in the furnace room at The Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum, Little Falls, MN. This system was originally installed when the museum was built in 1974/75, with the gas boilers being an upgrade in the 1990s. Photo taken October 2, 2021.

The current HVAC system was installed when the museum was constructed in 1974/75. Though it had been upgraded since that time, it has reached the point where replacement is necessary.

Part of the project, which is already complete, was the removal of an 8,000-gallon underground fuel oil tank. The museum was originally heated using fuel oil, but the system was converted to gas boilers in the 1990s. The fuel oil tank remained in the understanding that the museum could use it as a back-up heating source. Thanks to a grant from Morrison County Community Development, the tank was removed on August 31, 2021.

The new HVAC system will consist of several high-efficiency gas furnaces rather than gas boilers. Air conditioning units will also be replaced and the system will have features that allow for cleaner air in the museum. A smaller HVAC unit will also be replaced in one of the collections rooms. Because the Weyerhaeuser Museum contains archival materials and artifact collections related to the history of Morrison County, the HVAC system is critical for creating an environment that helps to preserve these items.

Funding for this project is being provided by donations from members and friends of the Morrison County Historical Society, a Region 5 CARES Act loan, and a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development.

In order to make room for the installation of the small HVAC system in the collections room, museum staff and volunteers had to clear collections from the work area. This work occurred on September 30 and October 1 and 2. Thanks to our volunteers and staff for making this a quick process.

If all goes well with the installation, the Weyerhaeuser Museum will reopen in November 2021. Stay tuned to our website for information on the reopening.

Boxes of collections items temporarily stacked in the R.D. Musser Library at The Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum, Little Falls, MN, in advance of the replacement of the HVAC system. Photo taken October 2, 2021.
Boxes of collections items temporarily stacked in the R.D. Musser Library at The Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum, Little Falls, MN, in advance of the replacement of the HVAC system. Photo taken October 2, 2021.
Cleared area in Collections Room 1 of The Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum, Little Falls, MN. The small HVAC unit that will be replaced as part of the project is shown near the top of this photo, with shelves of collections items next to it covered in plastic. Photo taken October 2, 2021.
Cleared area in Collections Room 1 of The Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum, Little Falls, MN. The small HVAC unit that will be replaced as part of the project is shown near the top of this photo, with shelves of collections items next to it covered in plastic. Photo taken October 2, 2021.

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