The City of Crestview announced last Thursday the completion of restoration work on two historic record books that suffered water and fire damage over the years, particularly after a fire destroyed the old city hall.
- City Clerk Maryanne Girard oversaw the restoration of the books, which contain minutes and ordinances spanning from 1916-1923 for Book 1 and 1937-1948 for Book 2. The restoration was completed by Paul Sawyer, a hand-bookbinder conservator located in Daytona Beach.
Girard sought guidance for the project from Matt Lutz, director of records management for the City of Tallahassee, who recommended Sawyer during the Florida Association of City Clerks annual conference. Lutz had mentioned that Tallahassee successfully restored old record books using Sawyer’s services.
The restoration process involved cleaning, de-acidifying and hand-sewing the books. The work has returned both volumes to significantly improved condition and made them legible once again.
“As part of future records management initiatives, our restored historical books will be digitized and made accessible to the public via the city’s website here, ensuring the preservation of our city’s historical records for future generations,” Girard said.
The digitization project will make the century-old records available online for residents and researchers interested in Crestview’s municipal history.
