Work 'progressing at pace' on new heritage centre to bring county's history to life
Construction work at the site of a new history centre set to capture over a thousand years of Staffordshire's past is "progressing at pace", Staffordshire County Council has said.
Work on the new Staffordshire History Centre on Eastgate Street, Stafford, started in February and is due for completion in summer 2024, with the site expected to open to the public later next year.
The project has been made possible thanks to a grant of £4,858,699 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The work will see the existing Staffordshire Record Office extended, whilst incorporating the heritage building that formerly housed the William Salt Library.
A modern, glazed entrance will link the two buildings, creating a bright exhibition space to showcase museum, archive, and William Salt Library collections.
Additional strong rooms will provide space for a further 55 years of collections in an effort to bring Staffordshire's history to life.
Victoria Wilson, cabinet member for communities and culture, said: "We're all incredibly excited about the project and grateful for the funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
"It's great to see the progress so far. We're six months in and there's a lot of work already done. Having had a tour of the site and meeting with the team overseeing everything, we can't wait until it's all up and running.
"The new extension at the back of the building will give us much more storage space for archives while the modern glazed area will allow us to display some of the amazing collections."
The last six months has seen foundation work at the rear of the site for the four-storey extension to the building completed, and, with the crane now on site, people will soon see the building emerging from the ground.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard where the exhibition space will be, the floor slab and wooden frame is in place, whilst masonry work on the wall is ongoing, with beams shortly expected to be lifted into place.
In the William Salt Library, which has been housed at 19 Eastgate Street since 1918, careful restoration works and repairs are also taking place.
During the work, historic wallpaper has been recovered in a number of rooms which Staffordshire County Council has said will be conserved to be displayed to visitors when the centre is open.
Dave Marriot, vice chair of trustees at the William Salt Library, added: "The progress has been fantastic and it is great to be part of this existing project.
"We are really excited that the home of the William Salt Library is being preserved as part of the project and that it will be here for many years to come.
"The William Salt collection is rather unique, a fascinating range of documents and artefacts, which will all be showcased and cared for within part of the new building at the Staffordshire History Centre."
To keep up to date with the project, visit the Staffordshire History Centre blog at staffordshirehistorycentre.blog.
