Whether you are thinking about how to spend your tax return or looking for ways to give back, a donation to support the Oneida Stake Academy (OSA) Restoration will truly make an impact in the Preston and Franklin County communities. We’d like to take a few moments to share our vision for the restoration, so you can visualize exactly how your dollars will be spent.

A Community & Welcome Center for Residents and Tourists

Franklin County is in need of a Community & Welcome Center. As the Cache Valley population continues to increase, it presents a perfect opportunity for our historic building to serve as a welcome center for the community. Historic and cultural attractions in our area bring in more than $40 million in annual revenue; this is our chance to share in that revenue. With a listing on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and a prime location on the Pioneer Historic Byway, the OSA Community Center will quickly become the hub for tourism information and events in the community.

Once the building is restored and modernized, it will offer space for local business use and public meetings, year-round cultural events and entertainment, and a beautiful ballroom where weddings, banquets and small conventions can be held.

As discussed in our January post, a historical renovation renews hometown pride. The OSA Community & Welcome Center will be the heartbeat of our rural community, connecting people with the town and each other, while at the same time driving an improved sense of Preston pride.

A Celebration of Our Local History

Originally constructed as a center of education for Franklin County, the OSA restoration will honor those roots by educating visitors about the local history and exploring broader themes of Western American history. The new OSA Community & Welcome Center will include space for a museum featuring permanent and rotating displays of local artifacts and historical exhibitions about Latter-day Saints (LDS) settlers, Native American history, and pioneers in the West. Featuring our local history through this museum will further solidify the OSA Community & Welcome Center as a must-see tourist destination.

To open the doors of our new OSA Community & Welcome Center, we need to raise $2.7 million. We are working diligently to secure funding through meetings with community leaders in education, government and businesses, promotion of the OSA and the community through digital media, and meetings with business and community leaders outside of Cache Valley.

But that’s not enough. Because we are committed to not requesting local taxes to restore or maintain the OSA, we need your help. Every single donation will make an impact. And since we are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, your donation is tax deductible. Will you help restore the OSA and tie our past to the present for a brighter future for our community? Donate online now.