Kane Historical Preservation Society getting funding to improve safety and comfort of buildings

WPSU | By Sydney Roach

Published August 16, 2023 at 2:56 PM EDT

The exterior of the Kane Depot and Museum. A sign hangs above the door with the name of the museum. Two benches are sitting out front. — The Kane Historic Preservation Society oversees the Kane Depot and the Kane Memorial Chapel.

The Kane Historic Preservation Society is getting funding to make two of its buildings more comfortable to visitors and to make sure artifacts are safely preserved.

The West Penn Power Energy Sustainable Energy Fund gave the society $14,000 to use for an ASHRAE Level 1 energy audit for the Kane Depot and the Kane Memorial Chapel.

A panoramic photo of the Kane Memorial Chapel. The Chapel Building is on the left with a U.S. flag pole in front. A statue of Thomas Kane, the borough's founder, is on the right. — Kane Memorial Chapel is on the left, and a statue of Thomas Kane, the borough's founder, is on the right.

The Kane Memorial Chapel is dedicated to Thomas Kane, an American Civil War General and the founder of Kane.

The McCleery Wolf Community Sculpture outside of the Kane Depot. Sculpture has one large wolf standing on top of a pile of rocks, and four younger wolves standing on the bottom of the pile. A sign next to the statue reads "McCleery Wolf Community Sculpture. Dedicated September 4, 2020. E.H. McCleery, the "Father of the Endangered Species Movement" in America, said of the Wolf, 'The animal with perhaps the worst reputation in the world for absolute savagery, treachery, and general devilishness, has underneath it all a heart true and loving...' This gift to all made possible by The Kane Historic Preservation Society, the Cleland Endowment, and the Generous and Caring Kane Community." — A wolf sculpture outside of Kane Depot celebrates the work of Dr. E.H. McCleery to save the "lobo wolves."

The other building is the Kane Depot, which holds the history of a local doctor who saved what he called “lobo wolves,” or western United States wolves, from extinction.

Joel Morrison is the Fund Administrator of the West Penn Power Energy Sustainable Fund. He says these energy audits will help the historical society find out what they can do to improve energy efficiency, which could save money and improve the experience for visitors.

“When you do energy efficiency properly, you inherently make that building safer, and more comfortable,” Morrison said.

Morrison said the energy audits will show what the condition of the building is and what can be repaired, such as a natural gas stove letting out carbon monoxide or a window letting in a draft. He also said balancing the temperature inside will help preserve the irreplaceable artifacts inside.