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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > July > 30 > Entry
VOA Museum receives a boost from the state
The National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester has been awarded some much needed money for some much needed repairs.
Earlier this summer, State Sen. Gary Cates (R-West Chester Twp.) secured $500,000 in funding for the VOA Museum, which is suffering from a leaky roof and seeping walls, among other problems, according to township officials. The township will be forking over $300,000 for repairs, which are estimated to total nearly $12 million. An additional $1.5 million in grants have been obtained from various state and federal sources.
Here’s a press release issued this morning from the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission.
Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission Approves $1.025 Million for Voice of America Museum
Columbus, Ohio - The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission approved $1.025 million at its quarterly meeting today for the Voice of America Museum.
The original VOA Bethany Station was built in 1942, in response to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s call to create a radio facility capable of delivering broadcasts around the world.
Built with the highest priority during wartime, the facility was operational within two years. In 1944, it transmitted the first VOA broadcasts overseas. The facility is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and houses the Gray History of Wireless Museum, the Media Heritage Broadcasting Collection and the West Chest Amateur Radio Club.
The 1944 art deco building housing the powerful VOA transmitters is being preserved as a tribute to the role VOA broadcasts played in the proliferation of American ideals around the world. It also honors the innovative people who made communication technology history in West Chester Township. The project will restore the building’s 1940s appearance, and will include window and door replacements, exterior restoration, roof repairs, and electric, security, and fire system upgrades.
The Commission approval, coupled with the signing of legal agreements, allows West Chester Township to be reimbursed on a pro rata basis with funds appropriated in Am. Sub. H.B. 16 and Am. Sub. H.B. 699 of the 126th General Assembly. Butler County General Assembly members who voted in favor of the bill include Senator Gary Cates, and Representatives William Coley, Courtney Combs, and Shawn Webster.
The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission is a state agency that helps enhance the quality of life for Ohioans by improving the state’s cultural facilities. Since 1988, the Commission has disbursed nearly $400 million of capital funds appropriated by the legislature and Governor for facility improvement projects at non-profit theaters, museums, historical sites and publicly owned professional sports venues. The Commission partners with non-profit groups and local governments on nearly 250 projects in 65 of Ohio’s 88 counties. For more information on the Commission, visit www.culture.ohio.gov
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