Improvements made to the grandstand
Improvements were made to the grandstand at the fairgrounds over spring and summer in anticipation of the 2017 Coshocton County Fair. It has been more than 60 years since the grandstand received a major renovation. Josie Sellers | Beacon
COSHOCTON – For several years, the grandstand at the Coshocton County Fairgrounds has been in need of an update. With constant leaks and cracks in the walls, the grandstand was the top priority on the fairboard’s maintenance list. When the state offered all counties a $50,000 matching grant through its Ohio Agriculture Society Facilities Grant Program, the fair board decided to apply and use that money to renovate the existing grandstand.
The project began in early spring of this year and included new metal siding and a new roof. The grandstand also received a new paint job from the seats and floors all the way up to the rafters. Holes created in the floor by rust were fixed and new lighting and new speakers were added to put a finishing touch on the updates.
“It’s just something that needed to be done,” said Rick Williamson, superintendent of the grandstand. “It was one of those things we needed to look into and something we felt we needed to do.”
Total cost of the project was $247,440 and many community organizations and individuals donated to make this project possible.
The $50,000 grant money is only available to county agricultural societies once every 20 years or so. Pat Kelly of Kelly Architectural Services, Inc. of Zanesville was the architect for the project. The project was finished about two weeks before the fair.
The fairboard hopes to make further improvements to the grandstand including some underground electrical work in the future.
In March of 1954, the former grandstand burned to the ground, and what was built to replace the old wooden structure has lasted 64 years with minimum maintenance.
“It’s been a long-time coming,” said Williamson. “Several years ago, maintenance came in and painted it, but major renovations haven’t been done in a long time.”
Category: Arts & Entertainment
