The only House of Flags Museum in America, located in Columbus, received grants from the Polk County Community Foundation to purchase and install a handicap lift providing access to the museum’s second floor presentation area, research library and conference rooms.

The new lift, completed in July 2013, will move up to three people from the first floor to the second floor effortlessly. This project was the final stage in making the newly remodeled museum building fully handicap and wheelchair accessible.

Storage, installation and construction assistance was provided by Pure Country Weavers; Jackson Towing; Polk County Sheriff Department deputies and detectives; Diversified Home Builders; and museum board members.

“This was truly a community project from beginning to end” said Robert Williamson, the museum’s director.

The House of Flags Museum, founded in 2001 in Green Creek, opened in its new location at 33 Gibson Street in Columbus, on Nov. 11, 2011. The first floor of the newly remodeled museum building is a fully handicap accessible facility comprised of four rooms for historical flag displays, a gift shop and restrooms.

The museum’s second floor is being prepared for a grand opening later this fall. Additional flag-related collections, rotating historical displays and classes will be held in the new presentation room. The research library will house almost 400 volumes of flag history books and references, some rare out of print volumes and unique collections from the archives of several presidential libraries and museums.

The conference room will provide a meeting space for the museum’s board of directors, committees and other community groups.

Admission to the House of Flags Museum is always free. The museum is open Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Group tours can be set up by arrangement. Call 828-894-5640 or visit www.houseofflags.org for more information.

– article submitted by Robert Williamson