The Origins of the Lyn Heritage Place Museum

In 1997 the street commissioners of the village of Lyn heard that the old Stewart’s Garage on the Main Street was for sale and thought that it would be a good thing for the village to purchase it and fix it up as a museum for area artifacts and meeting rooms. After much researching of this possibility, it was turned down by the Township Council and the idea was dropped at that time.

The building, about 150 years old, was in very bad shape. Then came the ice storm of 1998 and the roof of the bus garage at the back fell in and the Township was putting pressure on the owner to tear the building down. About fifty pigeons had made their home in the main garage and most of the upper windows were broken.

In the spring of 1999, a Village Trustee talked to the owners of the building, Dale and Ron Howard of Howard Bus Lines, and was offered an exceptional deal on this property for the village.

This information was brought to the Lyn Days Committee, and everyone agreed that they should check into the possibility of the Lyn Days Committee acquiring the property.

The Lyn Days Committee talked to the owners and learned that there was a very involved title to the property to straighten out. The committee decided to acquire the property.

In early August the committee was assured the property would indeed be transferred. At a meeting in early August 1999 it was decided the property should be registered to a committee of five people in trust for Lyn Days and on August 25th, 1999 the title to the building was transferred to the committee.

On August 30th,1999 volunteers started cutting brush and clearing up the junk on the property. They were soon joined by several other volunteers, machines and trucks. Part of the old bus barn was demolished with a large area of the building being repaired. Work was then begun on the old main garage building to turn it into the main building of museum.