Plans for Camp Lookout include restoration, museum

Camp Lookout, one of Sidney's oldest buildings, was once owned by the army and also served as a brothel during the seedier days of Sidney's history, but in the future it will serve as a pictorial museum chronicling the city's past.

"It'll be kind of the history of Sidney," said Kathy Wilson, chairperson of the Boot Hill Restoration Committee.

The Boot Hill Restoration Committee purchased Camp Lookout in 2010. This building is located on the corner of 10th and Elm on the north side of town.

Although one might not be able to tell from the run down exterior of the building, the committee has been continually working on the structure, inside and out. Two additions which were added long after the original construction were torn down, and the windows have been replaced. In the upcoming year the committee plans to do plaster work on the interior and restore the balcony.

With city funds, the committee hired a contractor who has already started work to restore the wall surrounding the building. The wall will be reinforced with rebar and waterproofed for safety. This will also protect against washing down the hill it sits on. The new wall will look just like the original wall, complete with ties for horses.

The committee attempts to be historically accurate in all work it does, right down to the type of nails used in construction.

The committee, which was formed in 2006, works on various preservation and restoration projects in the area. It previously reconstructed the fence around Boot Hill cemetery.