Ken Schreiber, a U.S. Air Force pilot, donated $400,000 to secure Neil Armstrong’s childhood home in Wapakoneta, Ohio, for the Auglaize County Historical Society, ensuring its preservation for public tours by 2030.
Ken Schreiber, a U.S. Air Force pilot, stepped in to rescue the astronaut’s childhood home after learning it was for sale. The Auglaize County Historical Society finalized the $400,000 purchase with Schreiber’s donation. The two-story house at 601 W. Benton St., where Armstrong conducted experiments and built model planes, will be restored to its 1940s appearance and opened to the public by 2030, marking the 100th anniversary of his birth.
The Man Who Stepped Up
When Schreiber, a Dayton native and former military fighter pilot, learned in August that Armstrong’s boyhood home was up for sale and no one had committed to preserving it, he acted. I just thought somebody has got to step up to the plate,
he said, recalling his father’s advice to make a mark in life.
He served 20 years in the Air Force before retiring as a pilot with American Airlines, initially asked friends to chip in but ultimately donated the full $400,000 himself. It was almost like the ghost of Neil Armstrong was there,
he said after touring the home. I could imagine him running up and down the stairs.
Schreiber’s donation followed years of stewardship by Karen Mikesell, a retired history teacher who bought the home in 1988. Over the decades, she hosted nine astronauts, including Buzz Aldrin, who visited Armstrong’s former bedroom. She said she felt a duty to keep the house as the Armstrongs had as much as possible. Her hope for a buyer to preserve the property was fulfilled when Schreiber’s gift allowed the historical society to take ownership.
Retired pilot helps historical society buy Neil Armstrong's boyhood home for tours pic.twitter.com/bOGYzggj2r
A Home Preserved
The 601 W. Benton St. residence, which Armstrong inhabited during his formative years, has remained largely unchanged since his family moved there. The layout inside is similar to its 1940s state, with the original dining room where Armstrong built model planes and a basement wind tunnel he constructed. Armstrong’s former bedroom, now adorned with moon landing photos and autographed astronaut portraits, remains a focal point. The home, which had never been open to the public, will undergo restoration to reflect its appearance during Armstrong’s childhood, according to Gerald Siesel, the historical society’s president.
Even now when this opportunity came our way, we realized we can’t do it ourselves,
Siesel said, noting the society has begun researching the home’s 1940s appearance and planning fundraising efforts. The goal is to complete the work in time for the first public tours in 2030. The property, which had been for sale for the first time in nearly 40 years, was acquired after Mikesell hoped someone would step forward to protect its legacy.
The Historical Society’s Plan
The Auglaize County Historical Society aims to restore the home to reflect Armstrong’s early life and his time building model planes and testing them in a basement wind tunnel. The restoration will focus on recreating the environment of the 1940s, including the basement wind tunnel and dining room model planes.
The city is home to the Armstrong Air and Space Museum, which draws visitors curious about the astronaut’s roots.
A historical society with pilot’s help bought Neil Armstrong’s boyhood home and will offer tours https://t.co/pC8WfFywh6
A Legacy Secured
As the historical society moves forward with its plans, the home’s story remains intertwined with Armstrong’s. With Schreiber’s gift, the house will serve as a symbol of Armstrong’s legacy and the Auglaize County Historical Society’s preservation efforts.
More on Neil Armstrong
Historical society with pilot's help bought Neil Armstrong's boyhood home and will offer tourshttps://t.co/1dLhISh3yK
A historical society with pilot’s help bought Neil Armstrong’s boyhood home and will offer tourshttps://t.co/UTbtrwyrfO
Worth a look