Mulberry Phosphate Museum in Mulberry Florida has had a leaky roof for years. The staff has been placing buckets where the water drips down the walls from a whole in the roof.
Roofers will begin removing the old roof in the first week of December and then putting new shingles on the 73 year old wood frame building. Work will begin just after the annual community holiday celebration and is expected to take about a week.
City Manager Rick Johnson said “When I found out how much water was coming through, I was concerned about the artifact being damaged. The money was there, so it was a matter of getting the work done.”
Asbestos Suspected in Old Roof
The new roof is expected to cost around $35,000; the asbestos removal has made the job more complicated and expensive. The roofing crew will be using precautions such as protective suits while tearing out the roof due to suspected asbestos on the 30 year old roof.
The building was built in 1939 and was originally the building was the city’s train depot. In 1985 the building was turned into the city owned phosphate museum displaying century old bones that were uncovered during excavation in the mining operations.
Mulberry is known as the Phosphate Capital of the world with an impressive collection of fossilized remains. An estimated 75% of the phosphate used by farmers for fertilization comes from Florida.
