Access to history: First floor of Daviess County Museum named in honor of Kremps
Apr. 18—Becky and Joe Kremp spend countless hours at the Daviess County Museum. It's almost become a second home. There are likely few things in the former Masonic Lodge turned museum the couple have not touched.
"What Becky and Joe have done here is not just this room," said Doug Dougherty, a member of the Daviess County Historical Society Board of Trustees. "It's the whole place. Now they will always be remembered for what they have done."
On Saturday afternoon, the newly renovated first floor of the museum was officially unveiled to the public and named in honor of the unsuspecting couple.
"It's all Becky," said Joe Kremp. "It's not me. It's her."
"From the bottom of my heart, I am blown away," said Becky Kremp, who, like her husband, was shocked at the naming of the room.
Around seven years ago, Daily's Furniture gave up its lease for the portion of the museum now named the Kremp Room.
"We talked about what we needed to do to the space and in 2018, we put in heat and air," said historical society vice-president Bruce Smith.
Smith said a more serious discussion came about in 2020.
"We wanted to get an architect down here to see what could be done and how much it would cost,"said Smith. "Christine Matheu from Bloomington came down. She came highly recommended by Indiana Landmarks."
Fundraising efforts began in the middle of 2021.
"It was estimated it would cost $350,000. With the cost of materials going up, it cost more than that but with the support of the community, we were able to fully find the renovation," he said.
Joe Wellman, who helped spearhead fundraising efforts, said it didn't take long for support from the community to come in.
"We were all blown away by all the support," he said adding all donors have been recognized on signage in the new space.
Built in the 1860s with money from the estate of the late Joseph Kruse, who was involved with the Masons, there were strict guidelines for the usage of the building.
"In his will, he said the building that was constructed had to have retail space on the street level," said Smith, adding the local Masonic Lodge owned the building until 2005. "Dailey's still leases the other wing."
The former storefront now features the newly installed "That's Entertainment" display as well as the new flagship exhibit that that explores the culture, economy and lifestyle of Daviess County.
"We owe a huge debt of gratitude to all of our donors who made this possible," said Becky Kremp, who serves as the museum's director. "The incredible support from the community really demonstrates how much we value our history and our cultural institutions here in Daviess County."
The new space isn't just for exhibits. It's can also be used for programs and meetings. Also included in the expansion is a restroom, serving kitchen and artifact intake room.
"A lot of hard work has gone into this," said president of the historical society Monty Critchlow.
