In August 2014, Leona Newell and her family donated the building immediately west of the Historical/Visitors Center in memory of Loren Newell. Pictured below is the Newell building which was annexed and made part of the Historical Center next door. This area has over doubled the size of the Visitors center and will allow the Foundation more room for the preservation of historical pictures and small artifacts. Many people may remember this building partially as an old post office, then later a restaurant, and was once Valda Johnson's old soda shop. In the last 30+ years, Loren used it as a shop and warehouse. Even though most of the original building was in poor condition and the west 1/2 of the original building was razed, it has now been totally remodeled and sided with a new roof.
Above pictured is the two combined buildings after completion of the new roof and siding. Pictured below is Leona Newell along with Kaylon Roberts and Jim Desbien October 25, 2014 as they celebrated the dedication of the Damar "French Quarter" Visitors Center and announcement of the gift of the building from Leona Newell to the Foundation.
Through the most generous grant of $53,500 from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, the remodeling and completion of the Newell annex has been made possible. In February 2015, the DCHF received the grant and due to the work from members and volunteers, the interior of the buildings were complete by May 23, 2015 and the exterior completed in 2016.
Pictured above left after completion of the foam insulation installed making the new addition very energy efficient. The right picture is the same wall after the knotty pine ship-lap boards were installed on the top half of the wall. The bottom portion was completed with a different product and a beautiful chair-rail will separate the two. The ceiling has been completed with a beaded ceiling board and the tile and floor covering was installed. The finished room is a beautiful place to display our history.
Below pictured is the new restroom along with a picture of the small kitchenette
The Foundation has been involved with other projects. One being what we call the Damar Sounevirs "Memories" project. This is a project where some of the CCD students from St. Joseph Church interviewed some of the elderly citizens with Damar ancestry, and wrote about the memories from their past. Paula Desbien was able to write and receive a $500 grant from the Heartland Community Foundation Action Fund for the project. The grant was used to assist some of the CCD students with the cost to attend the NCYC conference in Indianapolis in November 2015. The Memories project is an ongoing one, to encourage any descendant of Damar to write and record their biographys, memories and genealogy and will be available at the Center for all to share. If you already have histories, genealogys or albums of your families, please contact us and we would be happy to display them.
This is just an example of how our Foundation can work with other foundations, private citizens and local groups to obtain money for projects and we hope to be able to obtain other grants for worthy causes in the future.
2024 Special Projects
In 2024, the Foundation successfully managed to make a addition to the city park shelter house by adding about 1/3rd more the east side of the shelter house. The project was completed in July, 2024 and was very welcomed by adding covered shelter and shade.
Once the shelterhouse was complete, construction of the park expansion started. Utility poles were removed and everything placed underground. Ivan Normandin, Kaylon Roberts and the Foundation all owned land adjacent to the park and they decided to donate the rear halves of their property to the City. This we thank them for and the park nearly doubled in size because of it. Below picture shows the first corn-hole tournament held in the added area.
Benches, Benches and more Benches
IF you haven't visited Damar recently you will notice a lot of bright and colorful new benches that line the street of main street along with many more placed in the city park new shelterhouse addition. This addition to the town came about when the Foundation kicked off a one year fund drive celebrating the tenth year anniversary of the Foundation. Sparked by the initial donation from Mark Giersch who wanted a bench honoring his mother Mary Giersch, the funddrive grew into a special project where any familiy could purchase a bench of their liking, specially designed by our graphic designer and placed along main street and in the park. Over 25 benches were purchased in all and many of these benches were dedicated and blessed on May 25, 2024 at the end of the fundraising year. This summed up the event, making it the most successful funddrive in our ten year history.
Above is a panoramic picture of some of the benches that were dedicated and blessed on May 25, 2024. They were later placed along main street and in the park. Many of the families joined in the dedication that day, each telling a little bit about those that they were honoring.
Pictured below was the initial bench purchased by Mark Giersch and dedicated at the ribbon cutting ceremony by his three siblings, Larry Giersch, Paula Desbien and Ken Giersch
2021-2023 Special Projects
Dead Old Elm Trees come tumbling down
In 2021 the Damar Community Foundation was awarded a couple grants from the Heartland Community Foundation to remove many of the old dead and dying elms trees that lined the streets of Damar. If you by chance toured Damar prior to 2021 and after a damaging wind or snow storm, you would have found the streets full of dead trees and broken branches, downed power lines and one big mess. Today you wouldn't see anything like this due to the success of this project, The Foundation offered anyone with problem Elm trees needing removed could do so at no cost to them. In it's initial phase of the project, we were able to remove over 30 trees, again at no cost to any homeowner. In the following two years, many more were removed with the last tree standing being the Darnell tree on Oak street tumbling down in 2023.
Above is the beginning of the end to many old dead trees, below five more troubled trees downed.
Below two operators manage to cut down this old tree
Today if you drive the streets of Damar, nearly every troubled elm tree that line the streets have been removed thanks to the Heartland Community Foundation grants and your Foundation forsight.