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Conservation Assessment Program
Spotlight Article
Spotlight on a CAPped Museum:
Jamestown Historical Society
The achievements of the Jamestown Historical Society in Jamestown, Rhode Island provide an illustration to small museums and historical societies across the United States of what can be achieved through systematic planning efforts, regular incremental conservation improvements and timely grant applications.
Incorporated in 1912, the Historical Society’s first mission was to restore the Jamestown Windmill, a grain-grinding mill structure, which was built in 1787 and operated until 1896. After completing the restoration and continuing to grow throughout the 20th century, the
Jamestown Historical Society made long-range planning a priority in the 1990s. As part of the long-range goal to improve care of the collections, the Society applied for CAP in 2010.
Collections assessor Alexandra Allardt and historic building assessor Martha Werenfels conducted the CAP assessment in June 2010. The Society’s board, which was heavily involved in the assessment process, was able to act upon the CAP reports as soon as they arrived. Exercising their talent for planning, the board members devised a comprehensive Action Plan for CAP. This plan assigned CAP recommendations as duties to board committees, along with deadlines. As Jamestown Historical Society Secretary Rosemary Enright said, “The Action Plan is essential in building ownership by Board members to implement the actions suggested.”
The Action Plan has been a success, ensuring that many CAP report recommendations have been implemented in less than two years. Achievements include monitoring the collections environment, coordinating an emergency preparedness plan, increasing Windmill accessibility, and improving building maintenance. Jamestown Historical Society now uses data-loggers to collect information on temperature and relative humidity throughout the museum, and practices online data analysis from the readings. It has participated in the Rhode Island Connecting to Collections Emergency Planning and Response Training program and is drafting a Pocket Response Plan. The museum has replaced stairs and handrails within its buildings and improved signage to increase safety and accessibility.
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| Jamestown Historical Society Art Closet, before (left) and after (right) CAP. | |
CAP recommendations were instrumental in obtaining much-needed grant funding for museum building structural maintenance. Jamestown Historical Society has received $9,700 in grants including state grants for exhibition and structural improvements and a Newport Restoration Foundation grant for $1,500 to install better drainage for the museum’s meetinghouse building.
To her fellow CAPped museums, Jamestown Historical Society President Linnea Petersen says “begin immediately. We immediately took the list of recommendations, created a table of goals and actions to achieve the goals, and assigned priorities and timelines.” A similar approach to planning, actions and grant applications will be useful to any museum that has recently completed CAP.
Thanks to Linnea Petersen and Rosemary Enright for their help with this article.