Truman house to close for renovations

The Harry Truman house, a popular tourist site for Mormon travelers from Salt Lake City to visit while on LDS Church tours, will close Aug. 3 until spring 2010 for renovations.The historic site is in need of a new fire suppression system, as well as updated heating and air ventilation.Precautions have been taken to ensure the original wallpaper and flooring will not be damaged during the construction and a professional removal process is already under way. "The changes will not be evident to visitors once the work is completed because we are reinforcing the original framing right in place," said Larry Villalva, park superintendent and public information officer overseeing the project through the National Parks Service.In lieu of visiting the Truman home, the parks service has planned alternatives for those planning a stop in Independence, Mo.The Truman family farmhouse, located in Grandview, Mo., will begin daily tours, an extension from the normal weekend tours. The farmhouse closes Oct. 12 for the winter.Special audio and visual programming is being prepared to give visitors a look at the historic Truman home even with the closure, Villalva said.For Truman fans and history buffs, Historic Independence Square is home to Truman's office and the drugstore where he had his first paying job.Park rangers are available to give tours of the square."Independence prides itself on being the city of trails. There is a lot of history that occurred here that would get a lot of attention," Villalva said.The renovation is part of an ongoing initiative to conserve and maintain the quality of national parks and monuments in celebration of the National Parks Service's 100 anniversary in 2016.