The old Rock Island Depot in Gerald’s Legion Park is being readied for a new paint job.

When dealing with a historic building that is over one hundred years old, no repairs ever come without surprises.

As Leroy Strubberg of Lancaster Painting, began removing old siding that needed to be replaced he stumbled onto two new problems. The replacement siding must be special ordered and under the siding were several boards that also needed to be replaced due to rot.

The depot, the last remaining Rock Island depot in Missouri, is owned and maintained by the Gerald Area Chamber of Commerce. That group has been carefully saving money for years in anticipation of the needed paint job. They plan to update the colors to the original Rock Island red and cream.

Strubberg power washed the building Monday and was scraping flaking paint on Tuesday. He will begin painting this week, but will not be able to complete the job until the new siding is received.

The chamber also contracted with Strubberg to power wash and seal the back deck of the building. Again, a needed replacement board will need to special ordered. He will also re-caulk several of the window, many of which contain the original glass.

In an unusual cooperative agreement, the chamber owns both the depot and the old phone office to the west, but was allowed to place both buildings on park land owned by the city.

The depot was moved from its original location just south of the old railroad line near Main Street to Legion Park in 1986. The phone office was moved there in 1991.

The town’s name and elevation have always been painted directly onto the sides of the building. This year, chamber members decided to have this information painted onto two signs that can be mounted on the siding. This will make painting the exterior somewhat easier.

The chamber deserves credit for preserving both buildings for not only the town, but for the state. Thanks to their efforts at least one piece of Rock Island history lives on.