JAY — When the president of the Jay Historical Society learned late April 2 that a car had crashed through the Florence Raymond Building Meeting Room and Archives on Jay Hill, she couldn’t believe it happened again.

“My heart sank,” President Dot White of Jay said.

Members of the society reacted the same way, she said, saying, “’Oh no, not again.’”

Several years ago, a drunk driver drove off Route 4 into a garage, where one part had been sectioned off to hold artifacts.

That is why the new building was built, White said. It was dedicated in August 2010.

This time a Minot man fell asleep at the wheel. His car went off Route 4 and through one side of the building and partially out the other side.

“We’re talking about putting up some barriers,” White said, looking to prevent it from happening again.

The original contractor, Mike Roy, has agreed to rebuild the end of the building, she said. It is expected to be complete before the society’s annual open house in August.

The room that was hit last week was the room where artifacts and old maps were kept, she said. She doesn’t know exactly what was damaged, but remembered seeing a lot of stuff strewn on the floor, including papers. She did see that one tall metal rack was bent.

Racks of old records, picture scrap books, history books and more were also stored in that room.

“I’m scared,” she said. “Some of those maps are really valuable.”

The society is still paying on the new building, she said. The building cost $95,000, and they took out a 10-year loan.

“I just feel terrible about it. That beautiful building. Oh my land. We can’t help it. We’ll have to do the best we can,” she said.

The society’s museum, the Holmes-Crafts Homestead, which is adjacent to the Florence Raymond Building, was not damaged, but has its own problems.

The underpinning needs to be redone with new beams, White said. It is estimated to cost at least $30,000, she said.

“We are in a very expensive mode,” she said.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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