Spotlight on CAPped Museums Archive—Midwest Region
- CAP 10th Anniversary Spotlight
- Carnegie Center for Art & History New Albany, Indiana
- Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization, Oberlin, Ohio
- Historic Charlton Park Village & Museum, Hastings, Michigan
- Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, Akron, Ohio
CAP 10th Anniversary Spotlight
Since 1990, the Institute of Museum and Library Services has funded general conservation surveys through the Conservation Assessment Program for 1,703 museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Mariana Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands. All museums received funds for a collections assessment, and 70% were funded for an additional assessment of historic structures or living collections. In a final celebration of CAP’s 10th anniversary year, we tour the United States to show how three museums leveraged their CAP reports to improve the care of their sites and collections.
We begin at Stenton in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This historic home, designed and built in the early 18th century by William Penn’s secretary, James Logan, is owned by the City of Philadelphia and operated by The National Society of Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In 1997, Stenton had assessments funded through CAP. Architectural assessor Samuel Y. Harris identified site accessibility and structural moisture abatement as two top priorities. The report brought these needs to the attention of the City, which funded the $45,000 improvements. Stenton’s accessibility projects included a handicapped parking space, sloped walkways, and moveable ramps for building entrances. To reduce moisture problems in the historic buildings, the museum reset brick areas to redirect rain runoff away from the structures, set in-ground drains to control rising damp, and redesigned landscaping around the buildings.
To the west in St. Louis, MO, the Campbell House Museum has diligently addressed preservation issues since its 1991 CAP. The collections and architectural assessment reports educated the Board of Directors, spurring them to adopt the AAM Code of Ethics, write their first Collections Policy, and develop long range collections care plans. CAP recommendations were also the catalyst for raising $30,000 in foundation support for a Historic Structures Report, which has in turn directed preservation efforts and fund-raising. This 19th century National Register site has recently embarked on a "Living Landmark Restoration" of the building’s interior that has already uncovered the original paint and wallpaper. In 2000, the museum finished a 10 year undertaking to restore and conserve its collection of Campbell family portraits and gilt frames. Funding from the Regional Arts Commission and private donors made this project possible, and past director Jeffrey L. Huntington recognized that citing the CAP reports strengthened the museum’s case.
Further west is the Wyoming Frontier Prison in Rawlins, WY, which participated in CAP in 1996. The museum interprets the buildings that served as the state penitentiary from the early days of Wyoming statehood in 1901 until 1981. When the prison transitioned from its original use to a cultural institution in the 1980s, the organization needed a long-range maintenance plan to preserve this important piece of state history. The CAP process helped identify that the 13 structures, the museum’s primary artifacts, required immediate care. The number one priority in Long Hoeft Architects’ CAP report was to make much needed repairs to roofs. Persuaded by this recommendation, the Rawlins City Council, Carbon County Commissioners, and local voters approved a capital facilities tax that provided $300,000 over six years. The museum has now completed roof replacement and repairs on six buildings.
Thanks to Margo Burnette (Stenton), Jane Courter and Jeffrey L. Huntington (Campbell House Museum) and Tina Hill (Wyoming Frontier Prison) for their help with this article.
Carnegie Center for Art & History, New Albany, Indiana
The Floyd County Museum in New Albany, Indiana, has successfully completed a $1 million renovation of its historic Carnegie Library building, which has housed the museum since 1971. The museum has recently announced its re-opening, and decided that after undergoing such significant changes the museum needed a new name that better reflected its mission—The Carnegie Center for Art & History.
The museum, recipient of a 1994 Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) grant, reported in 1996 that it had not yet raised the funds to implement the recommendations of the assessors, but had received a grant from the Museum Assessment Program for a Collections Management survey (or MAP II). Staff were hopeful that with the aid of both the CAP and MAP II assessments the museum would be able to develop a clear plan for fund-raising. After receiving the reports, the museum's staff began to estimate the costs of the recommendations. This helped the board get a better focus on what needed to be accomplished for the building. The Carnegie Center states that after these assessments they began organizing for what they expected to be a capital campaign.
However, they did not have to take the campaign route because the museum was able to fund the renovations and report recommendations with a $1 million bond issue. The museum is a department of the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library, and the library was the recipient of two bond issues for renovations to both the library and the museum. The possibility for the bond issue was unexpected, and the staff dedicated an incredible amount of time carefully preparing their proposal and presentation but their hard work paid off.
The recently completed renovations have been a remarkable success. All the CAP report recommendations were addressed, and several aspects of the renovation will improve collections care, including installation of a new HVAC system with additional humidity controls in two new collections storage areas, roofing and gutter repairs, total re-wiring, new gallery lighting, and an addition with an elevator and accessible restrooms.
Ron Stiller, the museum's architectural assessor, was an integral part of the museum's success. The CAP assessment was just the start of a long relationship between the center and this architect. Sally Newkirk, director of The Carnegie Center, reports, "Mr. Stiller's report and recommendations were instrumental in our getting the bond issues." After the museum received the funding they were able to re-hire Mr. Stiller as the architect on the project. A community member, Mr. Stiller also recently joined the Board of Directors and continues to be a valued advisor.
The Carnegie Center admits being very fortunate in having the funding vehicle they did, but "if we hadn't had the CAP recommendations as a starting point, we would have missed this opportunity." Although the reports were about five years old when the bond was issued, The Carnegie Center found them to be essential in the renovation process and frequently referred to them. Several positive newspaper articles were published during the renovation project, which undoubtedly heightened community awareness of preservation. Sally Newkirk's suggestion to similar small museums is to keep an open mind for ways to fund CAP report recommendations. The reports are crucial documents to have when raising money and public awareness.
Thank you to Sally Newkirk for her assistance with this article.
Oberlin Historical & Improvement Organization, Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization (O.H.I.O.) owns and operates four historic sites in Oberlin, Ohio. After receiving a CAP grant in 1994, the organization has been busy securing private funds to carry out the recommendations found in the assessors’ reports.
The collections and architectural reports were prepared with an eye to establishing priorities for implementation, recognizing that the organization operates with a very limited budget. Fortunately, funding to implement many of the collections care recommendations was secured from a grant from a local foundation, the Stocker Foundation, which was matched by a long-time community resident who had never supported the organization before!
The Stocker Foundation grant allowed O.H.I.O. to implement several recommendations in the collections report. The private monies provided funding for conservation supplies and for purchase of a lap-top computer for collections cataloguing. Furthermore, donations of materials and labor helped to stretch the grant dollars. Community Service Volunteers from United Parcel Service worked with volunteer community members to renovate storage space and rebuild old exhibit cases. Additional completed improvements include the construction of under cabinet storage platforms made from National Park Service specifications; the design of acid-free textile storage boxes patterned by a CAP assessor; and the collections transfer from horrendous attic and basement conditions to better environments in accordance with the CAP recommendations.
Additionally, more funds were awarded through the Ohio Arts Council for design of a landscape master plan and an associated history trail. The CAP architectural assessment report supported this initiative and established a maintenance schedule and priorities for future preservation projects. The report also provided needed input in devising a strategy for disabled access ramps and for the development of a landscape master plan for the main site. The Nord Family Foundation, a local Ohio organization, awarded a Site Improvement grant to implement the landscape plans.
O.H.I.O. is continuing endeavors to complete the tasks found in their CAP reports to ensure a successful future and to remain a positive institution in the community. “Much work remains to be done,” administrator Pat Murphy said, “but the CAP grant set a high standard of professionalism for the organization to follow,”
To further this process, in 1996, O.H.I.O. was awarded a MAP I grant by the American Association of Museums after being accredited by the Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums in 1995. (CAPablities, Fall 1997, Vol. 2 Issue 2)
Historic Charlton Park Village & Museum, Hastings, Michigan
Historic Charlton Park Village & Museum in Hastings, Michigan, has successfully used federal grant funds to improve and preserve its institution and collections. According to Curator of Collections Sara Feldbauer, Charlton Park continues to benefit from the CAP grant it received in 1991. The museum has used the CAP reports as a springboard for other projects, funding sources, and federal grants.
In 1984, Charlton Park received a MAP I grant, which helped the institution review its long-range goals and financial situation. Using information gained from MAP, the institution established a foundation and developed an ongoing plan to raise public funds. In 1989, Charlton Park hired its first curator of collections.
The 1991 CAP grant funded both a collections conservator and an architect. “The CAP reports provided low-budget short-term and long-term recommendations with suggested timetables,” said Curator of Collections Sara Feldbauer. “The CAP review helped further the cause of preservation at our institution by providing some additional expertise not available on staff.” The institution has continued to work with its assessors, and, in turn, staffers have shared knowledge gained through CAP with smaller organizations in the state.
Using the CAP review recommendations as a basis, Charlton Park applied for IMLS’s Conservation Project Support (CP) grant. In 1993 it received a two-year CP Environmental Survey grant, which allowed for a long-range on-site study of the environmental conditions of five historic buildings.
With funds from the CP grant, Charlton Park has implemented recommendations from the 1991 CAP reports into its long-range goals, and completed 90 percent of CAP’s short-term recommendations. The museum has inventoried, cleaned and photographed artifacts, and made improvements to a large farm equipment storage facility. Charlton Park has completed two phases of a drainage control project, and it now has a detailed collections policy that covers acquisitions, deaccessions, loans, and access to the collections.
“We utilized the AP review and the Environmental Survey study to create a ‘Long-range Plan for Collections Management and Conservation’ for the institution. This document is currently under review by our Collections Committee, which is adding timetables for completion and suggesting possible funding sources for projects,” said Feldbauer. “Completion of such a document would have been difficult without the Conservation Assessment Program Review process.” (CAPablities, Spring 1997, Vol. 2 Issue 1)
Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, Akron, Ohio
The Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens in Akron, Ohio, stands as an inspiration to CAPped museums poised to secure funds for implementation of CAP report recommendations. In 1995, Stan Hywet completed the Conservation Assessment Program and since then has addressed the museum's need to augment resources (staffing, funding, space, etc.) to address routine historic structures care and maintenance, collections research and documentation, and improved conditions for objects storage.
In response to recommendations in the CAP report, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens approached the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in 1996 with a proposal requesting funding for the creation of a Historic Structures Division to oversee the long-term maintenance and preservation of the organization. The Knight Foundation awarded Stan Hywet $150,000, payable over two years. This funding has provided Stan Hywet with full-time personnel to organize, catalog, and house the historical documentation collection; develop a retrieval system for historic information; and conduct project research. Office space, a workshop, and records storage space for some 1,300 original architectural drawings has been created for the Historic Structures Division. The Knight Foundation funds will be used to equip these areas with the necessary tools and materials required to make the new department fully operational. Such expenditures include a camera system and equipment for documentation purposes, a computer system, flat files, reference materials and staff training. The grant has also enabled Stan Hywet to acquire and equip a van for use as a portable workshop.
Once implementation had begun for the Historic Structures Division, the next logical step in planning for and insuring the Stan Hywet's long-term restoration goals was to establish an endowment fund for this purpose. In November 1996, Stan Hywet was awarded a $35,000 challenge grant from the GAR foundation, located in Akron, Ohio, to establish an endowment fund for collections care and conservation. A condition of the grant was that the $1 for $1 challenge was to be met by new money from outside sources raised from the date of the award. The challenge was met in September 1997 and the original $70,000 collections care and conservation endowment has since received ad al contributions from the Stan Hywet Women's Auxiliary Board and Needlework Guild.
Further fund-raising efforts at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens include proposals to foundation and corporate funding sources for a wide array of prioritized restoration, conservation and preservation projects. (CAPabilities, Fall 1998, Vol. 3 Issue 2).
Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens photo by Maximilian L. Ferro, FAIA