2013 Annual Fund Drive
Dear Museum Patrons,
What a year 2012 was! We began by rearranging the museum floor plan and expanding our hours to Wed through Saturday, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. We are now amazed to see that our number of visitors over the past year is up 500%. We have put more of our collection onto the floor of the museum, allowing all to enjoy more of our county history during each visit. Our capital campaign was a huge success. We raised $16,000 for creation of a permanent exhibit at the renovated clerk’s office. With both private and public funds, including some from the Middlesex County Board of Supervisors, we will be able to open this new exhibit to the public this summer.
Over the past year, the museum was very honored and humbled to be instrumental in erecting the historic highway marker dedicated to civil rights pioneer, Irene Morgan. The unveiling ceremony was attended by well over 100 people from all over the country. We continue to foster partnerships with the Virginia State Library, Virginia Historical Society, Preservation Virginia and Middlesex County. Through this cooperative effort, the Middlesex County Historic Records are being restored and stored to higher standards. In addition, historic documents accessioned by the county museum are housed in a new special locked cabinet in the county record room which has chemical fire suppression capabilities.
In 2012, we enjoyed a diverse program offering including a living history re-enactment of original court cases from our 1850’s records, archeology of the area, and the Northern Neck Chantey Singers. Our new “History of Commerce in Middlesex County” exhibit, made possible by a corporate sponsor Citizen & Farmers Bank, opened in January and will run through the summer. The museum acquired a new IMAC computer through a generous grant from H & H Development, Inc. which has greatly expanded our graphic capabilities. Helen Chandler, in charge of our accessions, has cataloged all of the wonderful new items that have been donated this year including: currency, uniforms, books, historic textiles, photography and more. Our collection is growing in diversity and depth, with the strong local accent of this River Country locale.
The museum hired a new executive director, Holly Horton, who has been busy writing and submitting grant proposals for both bricks, mortar and programming. She has also focused on our educational outreach to the local schools, developing programming and materials that tie directly into the state’s SOLs. With grant opportunities extremely competitive, the museum has been very creative in different approaches to raising funds for both operating costs and exhibits. In addition, we are working hard to partner with other community groups to foster an environment of trust and mutual goals that support growth for all.
In 2013, our Middlesex County Museum & Historical Society needs your help to accomplish its mission. Please join our efforts to capture and record Middlesex County stories. This year’s membership categories are Individual $20.00, Family $35.00 and Individual Friend $125.00. Donors at the Friend category will be hosted by the museum with a preview social of the newly created Historic Clerk’s Office Exhibit this summer. All members receive 10% off of our historic books which are for sale on line and at the museum.
This annual letter campaign is a major fundraising event for our museum. The funds generated by this letter support our operating budget and the museum’s professional programming and exhibits. Your check helps to insure that our stories will be captured and shared with all generations of county residents and that Middlesex history is maintained and archived into the future. We are a 501 (c)3 non-profit and have all of our financials and programming information published on GiveRichmond.org for your easy reference. Please consider supporting the museum with as generous a donation as possible. We appreciate our ongoing partnership with you in fulfilling our mission. Thank you!
Sincerely, Marilyn South, President Holly Horton, Executive Director
Board of Directors: Diane Gravatt 1st VP, Joan Gosier 2nd VP, Ida Mae Shores Treasurer, Marion Goodloe Secretary, Dr. Richard Shores, Holly Horton, Cynthia Lewis and Patty Wheeler
Directors Advisory Board: Larry Chowning, Claudia Soucek, Helen Chandler, Raynell Smith, EJ Blake, Barbara Lovelace, Mary Helen Morgan, Dan Gill and Kevin Gentry
Our County History is One of Our Most Valuable Resources
Please click HERE to make a contribution!