The Filson Historical Society will break ground on a 20,000-square-foot expansion project Thursday.Director Mark Wetherington says the new building, to be named after the late philanthropist Owsley Brown the second, will provide bigger collection, storage and exhibit space, and a new event center.The new building will take up an entire block of Ormsby Avenue and will blend with the neighborhood’s character, he said.“We’ve fulfilled our mission which is to collect, preserve and tell the significant stories of Kentucky and the Ohio Valley region’s history and culture so well, we’re really out of space, so we’ve maxed out our capacity here and this campaign is to address some critical needs.”The Filson’s 109-year-old home, the Ferguson Mansion at 1310 S. Third St., will also get a facelift as part of the project. It’s scheduled for completion in the spring of 2016.
