By LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / June 30, 1999

LAPLACE – The Garyville Timbermill Museum took a giant’s leap toward state management and rescue from oblivion, thanks in part to a bill pushed through the Louisiana Legislature by Rep. Bobby Faucheux.Faucheux’s House Bill 328 provided that the State Parks Commission would assume responsibility for the former Lyon Lumber Co. building, oncethe facility is out of debt.

The bill was signed into law June 11 by Gov. Foster.At Monday’s meeting of the St. John the Baptist Parish Council, thepurchase of property adjoining the museum was unanimously approved, the amount of acreage bought at the appraised price of 65 cents per square foot, aimed at completely clearing the debt.

Parish President Arnold Labat was also authorized to sign a purchase agreement and provide a $3,000 deposit.

The site being bought is 250 feet fronting on Museum Street, 272.25 feeton the west side, 300 feet on the east side and a rear width of 185 feet.

Stan Orillion of the Timbermill Museum board commented, upon hearing the news, “This is great! This is something we’ve all worked for.”Faucheux added that no funding has been set aside for the building’s badly- needed repairs and renovation, but he estimated that first-year funding would be $230,000, including salary for a director. Subsequent fundingwould be $110,000 per year.

The current unpaid director, Rodney Miller, has worked “tirelessly,” according to Orillion, researching the room full of company documents dating back nearly 100 years.

Orillion thanked the council, especially board member Kevin Duhon, and Faucheux for their push to save the troubled museum.

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