The Arcadia Area Historical Society is happy to announce that it has acquired the former Our Lady of Perpetual Help church, rectory, convent and school from the Diocese of LaCrosse to serve as a new museum and art center for the society.
The church building will be re-purposed as the society's museum and art center with a meeting and banquet hall in the basement.
The hall has undergone renovation to prepare it for use. It will serve as the location for community meetings and get-togethers. Its kitchen is renovated to serve the hall. New gas furnaces are installed to heat the space. Updates to the bathrooms are complete.
Over the next months, the main body of the church will be updated to allow for the museum's exhibits and office space. Restoration to the original appearance of portions of the church proper will be done as time and money allows. We are fortunate to be able to retain the stained glass windows, the main altar, the stations of the cross, and the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Completed projects in the museum include refinished maple flooring, and new carpet in the former sanctuary. Projects still planned included a new heating system, security system, exhibit spaces and displays. (The society is seeking financial support and volunteers for the effort.)
The dedication of the Clock Tower was conducted on May 29, 2011. The tower renovation included new strikes for the three original cast bells, a new carillon, new clock works, hands and lighting. The Verdin Company, the original clock maker, completed the updates and improvements to the clock and bells.
 Original Interior View circa 1920
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 Existing Bells
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In May of 2002 the Krumholz-Askin family donated the building to the Arcadia Area Historical Society. We started with a project to remodel the front portion of the building. This would become our Museum. Years of neglect has taken its toll on the 129 year old building. Having been a rental property for some time, the interior resembled very little of its past.
The building was built in 1875 during the era of rapid expansion to relocate the town from the upper area to the new downtown near the railroad. Joseph Krumholz bought the building in April 1880 and ran a Blacksmith shop and wagon factory. In 1906 his son John remodeled the front of the building into a grocery store.
