Fresno County Historical Society President Elizabeth Laval speaks at a news conference in October 2023 to announce the acquisition of the former Downtown Club. Photo by Ben Hensley

The Fresno County Historical Society on Thursday officially announced the acquisition of a historic Downtown Fresno property with plans to maintain its archive there.

The Republican Printery Co. building, which housed one of Fresno’s very first newspapers, could be open to the public in a year’s time, acting as the society’s museum and preservation site for many historic documents and items.

After a 64-year wait, the society, led by President Elizabeth Laval, hopes the move will not only secure the organization’s ability to safely preserve history from the Central Valley, but also serve as a catalyst for the continued revitalization of Downtown Fresno.

Laval spoke Thursday of the first time she saw the society’s archives around 20 years ago.

“I realized ‘gosh, they need to do something about that.’ Little did I know that it would turn out to be in my hands to do something about that, and I couldn’t have done that without the board and without their confidence in this project,” she said.

The building was constructed in 1919 — the same year the Fresno Historical Society was founded — and shares several other things in common, including its correlation with history. The building is on the National Registry of Historic Places, placing even more of a spotlight on the historic significance of the marriage between the building and its new owner.

Formerly owned by Via Church, the building that housed the former Downtown Club went on the market in June. Fresno Historical Society Board Chairman Chris Woolfe said the turnaround for the building was incredibly fast, with the church hoping for a 30-day escrow period.

The society was able to extend that to a 60-day period during which they were able to raise enough money to purchase the building.

“I’m happy we got it done, but we just weren’t sure,” Woolfe said. “When we first entered escrow we were far from the goal.”

Over the course of just under two months, donations from several prominent members of the community, many of whom have direct connections to the society, were able to fully fund the purchase — a $1.05 million investment, Laval said.

The next step is renovation to prepare for its new function as a historic showcase for Valley residents and visitors. Laval said that the building will house various rotating exhibits throughout the year, as well as a designated room for all McClatchy print publications dating from 1888 to the mid 2010s.

Laval also said the bar — a staple in the building from its time as a social club — may also continue to serve guests after the building opens its doors to the public.

“Once we have prepared the building properly and have moved our Archives, everyone in the community will have the chance to witness the colorful tales of our county firsthand,” Laval said in a press release. “Our aim is to create an environment that is part Library of Congress and part Smithsonian.”

The Fresno County Historical Society aims to engage, inform and educate the public through preservation of historic images, stories and resources.

The archives are currently stored at Kearney Mansion. The Kearney Mansion will continue to operate as a museum.