Jennings Memorial Hall, the landmark building in Fort Jennings in Putnam County, Ohio, has got a new elevator as a part on the ongoing major renovations. This is expected to open up a whole new opportunity for residents and visitors of the village, according to a report in the Putnam County Sentinal.
According to the report, the President of the Jennings Memorial Association, Dr. Wesley Klear said, “The contractors installed a wheelchair lift rather than a full-sized elevator”. This decision was taken in view of the total the expense of the project as well as to minimize any impact to the century-old structure. The new accessibility device perfectly suits the needs of the building and can easily transport two to three people at a time.
Jennings Memorial Hall stands above the Auglaize River in Putnam County close to the original site of Fort Jennings which was established by General William Henry Harrison. The Memorial Hall was built by Lt. Col. William Jennings, Jr. and his soldiers from the 2nd Kentucky Militia in 1812. This hall, a landmark in the village of Fort Jennings for nearly 100 years, fell in to disrepair, leading authorities to initiate major renovations. The elevator was installed and certified in the historic structure in August this year, and is the result of months of fundraising efforts by the Jennings Memorial Association.
The new elevator stands in the space that was occupied by one of two staircases with exterior access. At first, the building’s design included space for only two stairways, each of which exits out of the building. Later, the architects included a central, enclosed stairway, and with two means of egress still available to visitors, the third one served its new and necessary purpose.