The Greater Oneonta Historical Society is set to unveil its newly renovated third floor ballroom 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, June 12.
“It’s been a long time goal for the organization to renovate,” Executive Director Marcela Micucci said Tuesday, June 9. After years of addressing other more pressing issues like repointing exterior brickwork, the unused third floor ballroom became a priority.
“All heads turned to the third floor (in 2024). It was time,” she said. “We started grant funding with the ultimate intention of turning that space into a kind of multi-use cultural space” for GOHS, other nonprofit and private venue events and meetings, Micucci said. The space could also house large exhibits, she added.
“It really does have a lot of potential to be used for many different things,” Micucci said.
The first of those events, save for a soft opening event last fall before the project was complete, is a grand opening gala from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. June 12. Located at 183 Main St. in Oneonta, the event will include games, prizes, a raffle, a cash bar and food from local organizations. “Cocktail attire is encouraged,” according to a GOHS press release.
There is no admission fee, though GOHS encourages donations.
Built in 1866, Micucci said, the building is Oneonta’s “oldest surviving brick building on Main Street.” It has changed hands multiple times, at times containing a hardware store or bank offices.
In 2000, GOHS purchased the building from Galinn’s Jewelers. Since opening in 2005, Micucci said, only the first floor has been accessible to the public. The second floor maintains the society’s historical collection.
Micucci estimated that about $300,000 of the renovation came from grants, covering about 80% of the cost. The rest came from donation appeals, she said.
Grants came from the state Council on the Arts, First United Methodist Church, the Robert F. Schumann Foundation, Future for Oneonta Foundation and other sources, Micucci said.
Renovations included new insulation and drywall, upgrades to meet modern fire codes, two new Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant bathrooms, a new kitchenette and other smaller fixes.
Micucci thanked DL Baker Contracting, Isaac Willard Electric, Osterhoudt Commercial Refrigeration and Finch Plumbing and Heating for doing a “fantastic job” on the ballroom.
“The opening of GOHS’s third floor is a milestone for the Oneonta History Center and Museum,” GOHS Board of Trustees President Kathy Meeker said in a statement June 2. “We look forward to celebrating this achievement with our local community.”
For more information, visit oneontahistory.org.