By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

WEST CHESTER TWP. - One of the country's largest museum collections on radio history will leave Cincinnati and make its new home at the Voice of America Museum off Tylersville Road.

West Chester Township leaders announced this week they have entered into an agreement with the Gray History of Wireless Museum, formerly located at the WCET Channel 48 (PBS) facilities in the West End, to establish displays and store its large collection at the VOA museum.

"The Voice of America Museum is an ideal location for this prestigious collection of artifacts," said Bill Zerkle, West Chester's parks and recreation director. "The Gray Museum and the Voice of America Museum are connected in many ways and both will benefit from this agreement."

The Gray History of Wireless Museum is rich in early radio gear, with many items from the beginning of the 19th century. There also are items relating to Powel Crosley, builder of the VOA facility.

The Gray museum will remain an independent, nonprofit corporation with its own board of trustees and will retain ownership of the items in its collection.

The first phase of a three-part re-creation of the 1940s VOA broadcast building as a public museum should be complete by the Fourth of July. The VOA Bethany Station began relaying news and entertainment around the world in 1944. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it closed in 1994, and the big radio towers came down in 1997.

Now, West Chester owns the VOA building and is converting it into a museum to honor the facility's legacy throughout World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars, and the Cold War era.

"The Voice of America Museum is an ideal home for our collection, making it more accessible to the public and providing a larger display area," said William Strangfeld, president of the board of trustees of the Gray museum. "Eventually, we hope to provide a participatory museum experience for visitors."

The Gray museum's transition to the VOA is expected to take place as soon as arrangements are made to provide secure areas for storage of the collections and additional display space.

"The Gray museum allows us to take a big step forward in creating a museum that educates the public about the significance of the Voice of America and the history of radio technology and communications," Zerkle said.

The first glimpse at the Gray museum here will take place at a display at Freedom Fest June 28-29 on VOA grounds.

The VOA has been open for tours and special events for several months. Nearly 1,000 people have visited the historic building to learn more about its past - and future.

This is the second year of fund-raising efforts to renovate the museum. So far, hundreds of thousands of dollars of in-kind contributions have been donated from West Chester businesses for renovations and access at the VOA. They include carpeting, paint and new entrance roads off Tylersville and Cox roads, said Trustee Catherine Stoker, who is heading up fund-raising with a veterans group and township staff.

About $10,000 in cash contributions from various groups and individuals has been donated to the Veterans Voice of America group for the museum. Those funds have been used to promote the facility through mailings and brochures, she said.

This year, Veterans Voice of America expects to raise at least $100,000 for the museum.

It should be completely renovated within seven years with one full floor of displays plus modifications for museum offices on the second floor.

E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com