“Chatting in the kitchen of the new museum are volunteer Joanne Presher, left, and Historical Society President Winnie McLeod. Standing at the entrance is Emil Lindholdt, who led the successful fund-raising effort.Jim Larsen/staff photoWalk through the museumRegular hours at the South Whidbey Historical Society Museum will be 1-4 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday. There is a suggested $2 donation for admission. Children 12 and under and Historical Society members are admitted free. The museum is located at 321 Second St. in Langley.Three years ago the South Whidbey Historical Society Museum was closed for what was thought to be a short time to allow basic structural repairs.Nobody then would have guessed the project would take three years, cost nearly $200,000 in cash, and require the donations of thousands of volunteer hours.But boy, was it worth the wait.The new South Whidbey Historical Society Museum opened to the public on Saturday with a ceremony at 2 p.m. Those attending found a totally renovated structure with a creatively designed interior that unfolds a new chapter of South Whidbey history around every corner.Yes, there are now corners inside the 100-year-old building originally built by Langley town founder Jacob Anthes as a bunkhouse for loggers. The long, open look is gone, replaced by numerous and fascinating corners, nooks, crannies, tiny rooms and display cases.As the new museum has taken shape, people have become enthusiastic and donated more items, said Historical Society President Winnie McLeod. Everything has ties to the old families, she said. People have unearthed out of attics and the backs of closets things no one has ever seen before. As a result, the museum now offers what she describes as in depth coverage of Clinton, Langley and Freeland.Joanne Presher, a volunteer, describes the new museum as wow-ier, peppier, more energized. A number of groups have already been given special tours and the reaction has been universally positive. It’s virtually a new facility, Presher said.Some of the old favorites remain in the museum, including a selection of mastodon bones, Langley’s first post office boxes, Indian artifacts, an assortment of old household items, and fashions from days gone by. Walls of pictures are dedicated to specific areas, such as Maxwelton, Clinton, Glendale and Holmes Harbor.Emil Lindholdt served as chief fund-raiser for the project. It was a lot, he laughed, estimating total donations as not over $200,000. If all volunteers had been paid $10 an hour, they could all retire, he added. But he’s thrilled that all the effort resulted in a wonderful project.McLeod said the community was highly supportive of the fund-raising drive. The important part is we have no debt, she said.”