Wellington classmates rise to $5,000 Archibald Willard mural restoration challenge

WELLINGTON — When Dan LaMacchia called, his classmates answered. With help from a last-minute donation of $100, the Wellington High School Class of 1977 met the $5,000 fundraising challenge LaMacchia set in March. The money goes toward the restoration of a nearly 150-year-old mural painted by 19th century artist Archibald Willard, whose most famous work lends its name to The Spirit of '76 Museum on South Main Street. It will cost an estimated $40,000 to fully restore the "master Mason" mural, one of three discovered hidden away in 2016 in the Ohio Masonic Home in Springfield, according to Spirit of '76 board member Scott Markel. LaMacchia fronted $5,000 for the cause and challenged classmates to match it. When they did, he threw in a bonus $5,000. In a visit to Wellington on Saturday, LaMacchia, who now lives near Columbus, said the challenge was designed to push his classmates to get involved with the museum "because the history and legacy of the museum is worthwhile." His father, Ray, moved the family to Wellington in 1967 and became president of the museum board. Ray LaMacchia held the position during the United States Bicentennial in 1976. To celebrate, he took Willard's "Spirit of '76" painting on the road as the "New Spirit of Wellington" tour, and wound up in the capital, where he shook hands with President Gerald Ford. "I stuck by him and got to see what he did, how he pulled all the strings and made things happen," Dan LaMacchia said. "He was just a regular guy, but I was always very impressed by how much he was able to do for the community." Armed with the life lessons his father taught, LaMacchia said he is proud of what the Wellington museum continues to do to preserve the town's history. His classmates were happy to embrace that mission, said Brenda Honoshofsky Leiby, who also graduated in 1977. She said they have remained especially close over the years. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, they would try to get together for monthly breakfasts, and when LaMacchia raised the call to donate, it was a way to stand together. The $15,000 raised by the challenge won't be enough to cover the cost of the mural's restoration, but it's a good start, Markel said. He said the search is on for another high-dollar donor or historical preservation grant. In the meantime, the canvas mural is kept on the second floor of the museum. "The master mason mural is on a giant tilting table, similar to how the original Old Glory flag is on display in Washington, D.C.," Markel said, showing it off Saturday. "That's because it won't support its own weight." When the mural finally goes for restoration, it will probably take more than a full year for the Intermuseum Conservation Association in Cleveland to gently clean the surface 1 square inch at a time using small wipes, front and back, so as not to damage the old canvas, he said. The ICA is the only entity in a three-state radius that can do the work, Markel said. It has already restored one of the murals recovered from the Bellefontaine Masons, showing the construction of Solomon's temple. That mural now hangs on the main floor of The Spirit of '76 Museum. Taking up a huge amount of real estate, it's impossible to miss. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.