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Chalet registry application progressing
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NEW GLARUS - An application for the Chalet of the Golden Fleece to be nominated to the National Register of Historic Places is going forward, but the village is looking for some funding to get it done right.

The New Glarus village board approved proceeding with the application on Dec. 18, but the first step is to do some research for grant opportunities to pay for a consultant to assist with preparation of the application, according to Village Administrator Nic Owen. Owen said there is no firm timeline for the application.

The village is trying to keep the Chalet operational and to raise attendance, awareness and appreciation for the museum. Being on the national register would also help make the Chalet more attractive for future grants, Owen said.

Edwin Barlow, New Glarus resident and founder of the New Glarus Wilhelm Tell drama, built the Chalet in 1937 as his private residence. A world traveler, Barlow always returned with additions to his ever-expanding collection of one-of-a-kind antiques and treasures. Barlow donated the home, which sits at 618 Second St., and its contents to the village in 1954.

The chalet itself is an authentic copy of a Swiss Bernese mountain chalet, and the interior features intricately detailed woodwork that pays tribute to Old World, Swiss craftsmanship.

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation.

Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources.

Since its inception, more than 80,000 properties have been listed in the National Register. Together these records hold information on more than 1.4 million individual resources - buildings, sites, districts, structures and objects - and provide a link to the country's heritage at the national, state and local levels.

If selected to be listed on the national registry, the Chalet of the Golden Fleece will join several other New Glarus buildings already on the list, including the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Depot, 418 Railroad St.; New Glarus Public School and High School (now School House Apartments), 413 Sixth Ave.; and New Glarus Town Hall, 206 Second St.