Twenty Years of Conservation
Improvements through CAP
General Lew Wallace Study and Museum | CAP Year: 2004 |
The General Lew Wallace Study and Museum (GLWSM) in Crawfordsville, Indiana, has operated as a historic house museum for over 100 years, and for the majority of that time has been run by Wallace family members and other volunteers. When GLWSM’s first museum professional, Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, was hired in 2003, she found collections stored in a basement that experienced seasonal flooding and Wallace's carriage house, built in 1875, was in desperate need of preservation. In 2004, the museum participated in the Conservation Assessment Program. A collections assessment was conducted by Ramona Duncan-Huse and an architectural assessment was conducted by David Kroll. Recommendations from the assessment were incorporated into the museum’s long-range plan; in addition, priorities for fund-raising for collections were identified.
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Storage Space Before CAP |
Storage Space After CAP |
In 2005, the GLWSM received a National Endowment for the Humanities Preservation Assistance Grant for $5,000 to purchase storage supplies and furniture to rehouse collections. Additional funding for archival supplies came in 2006 from the local electric company, the local Community Foundation, and a 2008 Institute of Museum and Library Services Preserving American Heritage grant. From 2003 – 2006, the GLWSM carried out the Carriage House Rehabilitation Project following suggestions from their National Park Service Condition Assessment and CAP assessment. The museum received several gifts and grants totaling almost $250,000. The collections that were stored in the flooded basement are now housed in a refurbished storage area in the new Carriage House Interpretive Center which is equipped with a dedicated climate control system, fire suppression system, and state of the art shelving and cabinetry.
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Attic Space Before CAP |
Attic Space After CAP |
In 2008, the GLWSM was formally recognized as a model in the small museum community when they were awarded IMLS’s National Medal for Museum and Library Service, in recognition of their Lew Wallace Youth Academy educational program. Established in 2005 for middle school students interested in history, the academy incorporates Wallace’s life story into lessons in problem solving, creating art, and serving others. Participants are taught by local professionals, scholars, historians, and college professors. Upon completion of their studies, students participate in a formal graduation ceremony attended by their families and friends.
Catlin-Legutko departed in early 2009 for a new position as the director of the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine. But the collections and organizational improvements continue undaunted under the supervision of four permanent staff members (funded through further grant-writing efforts) at the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum.
Thanks to Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko and Amanda Wesselmann
for their help with this article.
Photos Courtesy of The General Lew Wallace Study and Museum
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