Restoration work could start soon at the Woody Winfree Fire-Transportation Museum, after it was damaged by harsh winds in 2023.
The museum opened in 2008 in the old city fire station that was built in 1905. It includes old firefighting vehicles and equipment. On March 31, 2023, straight-line winds damaged the museum and other buildings in downtown Hopkinsville.
The wind blew out a part of the museum’s wall, knocked out windows and damaged the clock tower. At last week’s Hopkinsville Rotary Club meeting, Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County Executive Director Alissa Keller shared that progress has been made concerning an insurance claim following some roadblocks.
At the time of the meeting, Keller says there were still other details to sort out before restoration could begin, but she hopes that work gets underway soon, possibly this week.
Before the museum was damaged, Keller says she had already been thinking of ways it could better serve the community. Keller says she wants the museum to have more educational elements for children, with a focus on fire science and vehicle mechanics.
Once reconstruction begins, Keller says it should take around six months. In the meantime, she plans to explore ways to make the museum more educational.
More information about the museum is available at museumsofhopkinsville.org.