Museum of the Red River-Progress of the New Addition

November 13, 2008

The large outdoor sign finally arrived for the center, one of the last touches in finishing the uniques exterior of this community asset. Door installation and parking lot cement work, already under way, will round out the building's facade.

October 25, 2008

Workers put the finishing touches on the sidewalk surrounding the rapidly progressing Mary H. Herron Community Conference Center.

All of the interior walls inside the center are covered in wall board and are awaiting finishing by crews.

Crews have moved from major construction to the finishing stages of the Mary H. Herron Community Conference Center. Wall board has been installed on all of the interior walls while outside crews have installed many of the walkways around the outside of the building. In the coming weeks, installation of flooring, ceilings doors and windows are scheduled. The center is already accepting reservations for upcoming events. A public open house is scheduled for mid-November.

September 10, 2008

Crews have finished enclosing most of the exterior of the building and have begun putting finishing touches on the exterior walls, including stucco application and the surfacing of the giant pillars near the main entrance.

Workers say the exterior could be complete within a week, allowing for inside workers to more quickly complete their tasks without worrying about weather problems.

The Mary H. Herron Community Conference Center will be officially dedicated October 18, 2008, during the Museum of the Red River's quarterly board meeting. The preview reception will be for board members and invited donors. The center is expected to open up to the public shortly after, with events already scheduled for fall 2008. The museum expects to release a fee schedule for use of the center and its amenities in the very near future.

September 4, 2008

Workers are moving quickly to complete the Mary H. Herron Community Conference Center. The interior framing and roof have been completed as well as much of the enclosure of the outer walls.

Construction on the Mary H. Herron Community Conference center is pushing forward at a lightning-fast pace.
As we enter into the third month of the process, the building is really beginning to take shape. The exterior walls up and many have been enclosed. The roof has been completed all of the framing work on the interior walls has been completed.

In the coming days and weeks, electrical work, plumbing and the installation of flooring and fixtures will begin.

July 7, 2008

Work is well under way on the Mary H. Herron Community Conference Center at the Museum of the Red River in Idabel. Crews have completed the concrete slab and rough plumbing and have begun assembling the steel structure of the building.

Supporters of Southeastern Oklahoma's premier museum gathered on a spring Saturday night to celebrate a milestone in the institution's history and the life of one of its leading advocates.

Director Henry Moy announced the dedication of the Mary H. Herron Community Conference Center during the museum's annual Patrons' Dinner April 19. "(Herron) passed away about a year ago," Moy said. "We want to remember her but we also want to do something to celebrate her life and her contribution to the community."

Mary and husband Quintus Herron founded the museum in 1975 as a way to celebrate the cultural and archaeological heritage of Southeastern Oklahoma. In the 33 years since, the museum has grown to treasures from across the nation and around the world.

The 11,500-square-foot addition marks the latest — and one of the largest — in a series of growth spurts experienced by the institution during its relatively short lifespan.

According to Moy, this is due to a combination of several different factors, including strong community support and an ideal environment for archaeological study.

"We're at the western edge of the southeast forest and the eastern edge of the western plains," Moy said. "This is a really interesting place archaeologically."

The new community conference center will be used, by day, as a classroom area, allowing museum staff to educate the area 's youth in matters of history and art.

On evenings and weekends, Moy said, the facility will be available to the public for dinners, conferences, gatherings or any number of other events. The rates have not been set, but Moy the museum is committed to keeping them affordable.

"We want this facility to be used by the community," Moy said. Progress on the building is moving quickly, with a concrete slab and much of the steel structure already in place. Moy said the museum has targeted a fall grand opening for the center and — with construction already well under way — that goal is well within reach.

Moy said museum officials will announce a concrete date soon for the expected gala event.

For more information on the Mary H. Herron Community Conference Center or the Museum of the Red River, call the museum at (580) 286-3616 or e-mail motrr@hotmail.com.