LYNN — The city’s trove of Civil War and early 20th-century history opens its doors to the public on Saturday, Sept. 16 from noon to 3 p.m.
With its Grand Hall featuring 1,243 photos of Civil War veterans and documents signed by Abraham Lincoln, the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) building, 58 Andrew St., is being highlighted for tours as part of the Essex National Heritage Area’s Trails & Sails program.
The Essex National Heritage Commission sponsors Trails & Sails each September, featuring locations like GAR as places to visit on the North Shore and in the Essex County region. Working with the Lynn Community Association, the Heritage Commission is highlighting the GAR building as a historical resource.
Once a meeting place for more than 2,000 Civil War veterans who fought for the North between 1861 and 1865, the Grand Army building became city property in 1919 and evolved into a museum after aging Civil War veterans held their final meetings in the post in the 1930s.
With rooms filled with Civil War military uniforms and weapons, as well as books, and a great hall adorned with photograph portraits of 1,243 members, the building has always attracted Civil War students and history buffs.
Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy and the City Council allocated $150,000 for improvements to the building, including reconstructing more than 30 window frames and repointing the building’s brick front.
Additional money is being spent to install metal rods designed to provide the Andrew Street building’s brick facade with additional structural integrity. Curator Bob Matthias said the reconditioned windows will improve the building’s energy efficiency and ensure added protection for the building’s historic collection.
