ELLENVILLE – When people refer to the Hunt Memorial Building as the "heart of the village," it's easy to see why. With its classical façade, the Hunt's imposing presence at the corner of Canal Street and Liberty Place really couldn't be any more central to the village. But, in recent years, the Hunt has begun to deteriorate, so much so that a monumental effort will be required when it comes to bringing this architectural gem back to its former glory.

"It's our baby," says newly-elected Wawarsing Councilmember and Hunt Memorial Preservation Committee (HMPC) President Steve Bradley. "But, as you can see, it really needs a lot of work."

To that end, the preservation committee has been tasked with the renovation of the building and is still working to raise the funds needed to complete the project, the sum total of which could top $2 million. And, unfortunately, the society still has a long way to go.

But this hasn't deterred the Hunt's supporters. Marion Dumond, the former Ellenville librarian who since 2002 has been actively involved with the Hunt's restoration, hopes that the building will once again become a centerpiece for the village.

"It was very much a community resource," Dumond says about the building's storied past.

The Hunt at one time hosted everything from lectures to debutant balls, she says. The hope is that the Hunt will again become the same kind of resource, according to Dumond.

A new roof, Bradley says, was just the first step in this restoration, one that was necessary when it comes to preventing the continued deterioration of the inside of the structure.

"The important thing to know is that we do have a new roof on [the Hunt]. It was put on two years ago and it cost $109,000," Bradley says.

A major leak, in fact, caused quite a bit of damage to the inside of the building. Now, with the interior secure, the committee has been able to turn to the completion of other tasks. For example, Andy Weil of A&E Contracting, Inc. of Summitville donated time and materials to repair a large section of the wall and ceiling in the grand hall. Additionally, all of the skylight apertures were covered and sealed during the roof repair, and the stained glass removed and set aside. The plan calls for these stained glass panels, which are quite ornate, to be eventually returned to their original places, and then backlit in order to illuminate them.

Danyel Rubin, who was the curator of the Wawarsink exhibit that took place at the Hunt earlier this year, hopes to emphasize the historical significance of the building, not the least of which being its importance to the women's temperance movement, the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century campaign against alcohol consumption; and, a bit later, the suffrage movement that eventually won women the right to vote.

"It's also a part of the [NY State] Women's Heritage Trail," says Rubin.

This trail, Rubin says, includes a number of important buildings, such as the former residences of important women such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Lucille Ball, as well as the historic Seneca Falls, an important location during the suffrage campaign.

"It's really an important building," Rubin says.

As of now, the group has another eight-and-a-half years on its lease with the village, though Bradley thinks it unlikely that the building will be finished by then.

"If my wife hits the Mega-Millions, she said she'd help out," Bradley says, jokingly.

It's also possible, Bradley feels, that someone with deep enough pockets could emerge to help defray some of the costs associated with the Hunt's massive restoration.

And, from a realistic perspective, there remains a lot of work to be done when it comes to raising money for the project. Currently, the group has been working on a $200,000 matching grant — the HMPC will receive the $200,000 only if they can raise the same amount on their own — but the group has raised only a fraction of this as of yet. They're going to need all the help they can get if they hope to reach their goal.

Dumond, however, is already counting the blessings that the group has received thus far.

"People have been very good to us," she says.