NORTH ATTLEBORO - The Falls Fire Barn museum is beginning to look like its old self.

The North Attleboro Fire Barn Preservation Society has raised enough money to have half of the building repainted, but is still working on raising money for the remaining work.

So far, the two sides most visible to the street - the front of the fire barn, which is located in Attleboro Falls, and the side facing Bristol County Savings Bank have been finished.

Bob Lanpher of the preservation society said the group has raised about $13,000 so far, but still needs to collect another $7,000 to $8,000 in donations to complete the work.

Some of the money raised came from Bruce and Melanie Rosenbaum, who ran a house tour of their newly restored Benjamin Stanley Freeman house on Mount Hope Street. "We won't plan any major fundraisers until our open house in the fall, though it would be nice if we could get the building painted before that," Lanpher said.

The Falls Fire Barn, which dates to 1893, houses a museum that collects artifacts related to town history and the George M. Cunningham Research Library, named for the museum's former curator.

The museum is open to the public on Saturday mornings.

Anyone interested in making a donation to help offset the cost of painting the fire barn can send a check made out to the Falls Fire Barn Museum to the North Attleboro Firebarn Preservation Society, Inc., P.O. Box 2632, Attleboro Falls, MA 02763-2632.

Names of donors of $100 or more will be engraved on the Wall of Friends and donations are tax deductible.

AMY DeMELIA can be reached at 508-236-0334 or at ademelia@thesunchronicle.com.