Mahoning Valley Historical Society gets a big boost with $1.35 million

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – The Mahoning Valley Historical Society has received $1.35 million in funding to repair the building housing its growing assortment of artifacts.

Thanks to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s capital budget passed last week, the historical society can fund multiple projects fixing up the old IBM building in downtown Youngstown.

“When we purchased this building of course we knew there would be some costs associated with it,” said MVHS Collections Manager Jessica Trickett.

Since November, the society has been consolidating some of its collection, using the site as storage for its large collection of artifacts.

“Every bit of money we put into the project goes toward preserving our collective history here in the Mahoning Valley,” said Trickett.

But in the present, the building itself requires some renovation, which is where funding from the state provides a big boost.

The society received $750,000 from the One Time Strategic Community Investment Fund and another $650,000 from the 2025-26 capital budget.

The money will be used to replace windows, repair a deteriorating facade and upgrade the HVAC system.

“Moisture is the enemy of collections,” Trickett said. “They require specialized systems that maintain a constant temperature and relative humidity because fluctuations of either of those elements will damage artifacts.”

While preserving the past– the historical society also has its eye on the future. The IBM building itself holds its own niche in Youngtown’s history.

“It’s a perfect example of urban renewal architecture that was going on in the 1960s through the 1980s,” Trickett said.

MVHS has big plans for its 50th anniversary in 2030. Trickett says that when a building turns 50, it becomes eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.

“It’s part of that important story that we tell not just the beginnings of downtown, but how it progressed and changed over time. This building is a part of that story.”

In the meantime, the building’s previous application with IBM is sufficient until the new wave of money helps preserve what’s inside.

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