April 6, 2005

The George S. and Delores Doré Eccles Foundation notified the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation last week of a $50,000 grant they have set aside for the restoration of the Oneida Stake Academy.

This 115-year-old architectural gem was hewn from the hills surrounding Preston, Idaho, by early settlers, and is the alma mater of Ezra Taft Benson - both a president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under President Eisenhower. The Academy became a public high school in 1922 and remained in use until the late 1990s.

The Eccles board of trustees bravely supported the controversial move of the historic building in 2003 with a $250,000 grant. Over $1 million was raised for that historical move.

“The Eccles foundation has been very generous with the Oneida Stake Academy project, especially since the building is outside the foundation’s area of focus,” said Fred Woods, executive director of the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation. The Eccles foundation’s mission centers on supporting Utah projects.

The Mormon Historic Sites Foundation and the Oneida Stake Academy Foundation continue to receive generous financial support for the Academy's restoration. Another $2.5 million is needed to complete the project.

Engineers are currently working on the structural stabilization drawings that will bring the building up to modern standards.

"During the structural rehabilitation, little visible aesthetic improvement on the building will be perceived by the public," said project architect, Joseph Linton.

Persons interested in supporting the project, either through financial or in-kind donations, are invited to do so through the MormonHistoric Sites Foundation, P.O. Box 555, Preston, Idaho 83263. For more information, please call Necia Seamons at 208-852 1837.

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