Work is in progress to replace some century-old water pipes leading to the historic Cracker House, and it won’t cost anything.
Leah Swindler, the President of the Cracker House Project, said they discovered the pipes when they ruptured in January. During restoration work, some of the heavy equipment proved too heavy for where it was parked. The pipes will be replaced at no charge, through a special program offered by Missouri American Water.
“The weight of the lift crushed the lead pipe underneath the ground, because it’s so soft and it’s old.” Swindler said. “A leak started up, so we called the water company out, and they dug up that area, and determined that it was indeed a lead pipe from 1893.”
“So I filled out an application, and they told me that they would replace not just the pipe in front of the house, but add a meter and a line into the house for free.”
Swindler says their efforts to raise money for restoration continue. They had a trivia night at a local bar recently, which raised about $2,500, enough to begin work on repairs on the south wall of the structure. She says they’re also hosting a volunteer tourism group called Adventures in Preservation starting in May.
“People sign up for trips around the U.S., and even internationally, to learn preservation while working at an actual site,” she said. The public is invited to a series of preservation workshops, in which you’ll learn some of the processes, such as tuck pointing and window restoration processes, and they’ll learn the processes while helping fix the house.
It starts May 28 and runs through June 10th. It will cost you a $25 donation per workshop to cover materials cost. You can find out more at the group’s Facebook page here.
They’re also planning a fun fundraiser coming this fall. Swindler says they’re joining forces with the Historic St. Joseph Foundation and the St. Joseph Historical Society (Robidoux Row), to create a coloring book of historical buildings in the area. The Cracker House will collect one-third of the proceeds.
The house, at 914 Main Street, was once the home of Frank L. Sommer, the inventor of the Saltine cracker.