The grandiose building that sits at the south end of Trinity Street in Decatur is deceptively quiet. Once the home of Decatur Baptist College, it is now the Wise County Heritage Museum owned by the Wise County Historical Society Inc.

Today, the museum is alive with the activity of preserving Wise County’s past.

The museum is headquarters for the Wise County Historical Commission and the Wise County Historical Society Inc. Together, they educate citizens about the past through presentations and through the museum, which is kept in operation by donations, admissions, sales from the gift shop and various fund-raising events through the year.

Members attend conferences and work to keep the archives updated. It is kept open by employees of the Experience Works program and by volunteers.

The museum is home to the Lost Battalion Room, a tribute to those who lost their lives and those who survived as Japan’s prisoners of war in World War II.

The 131st Field Artillery members were, for the most part, young National Guardsmen from small towns and rural areas of North Texas along with survivors of the USS Houston CA 30.

The room is filled with mementos of the prisoners’ valiant fight to stay alive while imprisoned by the Japanese. They maintained military discipline with a loose chain of command and the buddy system to take care of the sick.

While the museum houses much of the county’s history, the building has an interesting history of its own.

Its origins trace back to 1891 when the Northwest Texas Baptist Association founded Northwest Baptist College, a four-year institution in Decatur.

The first classes were held in the old opera house located on East Main Street, just off the square.

Land for the site was purchased through real estate agent C.D. Cates of Decatur. The contract for the administration building was let to S.C. Kilgard of Denison.

First classes were held in the new administration building in September 1893.

The institution’s first president was Dr. A.J. Emerson, who served for four years until the school went bankrupt in 1896.

The following year, the Baptist Convention bought the property and turned it into Decatur Baptist College, through the support of 20 Wise County men who pledged $1,000 each.

The home of the world’s oldest junior college, the school was a preparatory school for Baylor University until it moved to Dallas in 1965 and became Dallas Baptist College.

It is now known as Dallas Baptist University. The last president of Decatur Baptist College was Dr. Otis Strickland.

After the college moved, a Decatur businessman, Coke L. Gage, bought the property and then donated the building and approximately one acre of land to the Wise County Historical Society Inc. for a museum. It now houses one of the best family research facilities in the area, an auditorium and a museum.

Restoration of the museum has been ongoing since 1965. Tom Cone and Ryan Cunnius, both of Decatur, organized an annual country music festival called the Wise Country Fall Out to raise funds. The show features local talent.

All events are held in the G.C. Rann Auditorium on the second floor of the museum. The late G.C. Rann and his wife, Maurine, and the citizens of Decatur began restoration of the auditorium, and the completion of the restoration process is the museum’s next big project.

Fund-raising events have helped the museum’s ongoing renovation projects, including new restrooms, carpeting and painting.

Landscaping and sidewalks have also been installed as well as a security system, new wiring and work on the rock walls.

“We’re trying to get the museum fully restored,” said Carla Womack, president of the Historical Society. “We need a lot of volunteers and we welcome donations.”

Anyone wishing to help should call (940) 627-5586 or stop by the museum.

Tours of the museum are available by calling (940) 627-5586 or (940) 627-3732.

The facility is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

A ramp and elevator are available to make the museum accessible to the physically challenged.

Admission is $1 for adults and 50 cents for children under 12.

Memberships in the Wise County Historical Society Inc. are $10 per year for adults, $15 for husband and wife and $150 for a single lifetime membership.