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SKOWHEGAN — Skowhegan History House Museum & Research Center has announced it is one of 75 institutions from across the country selected to participate in the inaugural year of the Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) program.
Administered by the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artist Works, CAP assists museums in improving the care of their collections by providing support for a conservation assessment of the museum’s collections and buildings. The CAP program is administered by FAIC through a cooperative agreement with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal grant making agency that supports museums and libraries.
A team of two preservation professionals will spend two days surveying the SHHMRC site and meeting with staff before preparing a comprehensive report that will identify preventive conservation priorities. The assessment report will help the museum prioritize its collections care efforts in the coming years.
SHHMRC expects the program to usher in the next phase of its collections care work. “We are pleased to receive this CAP assessment grant because it will give us the information we need to take progressive steps to initiate additional collection protection measures as well as identify, and then find, resources to address issues relating to the History House’s physical structure” said Director, Melvin Burnham. Both of these expected outcomes fit within the frameworks of SHHMRC goals for 2016-2025, which are to take progressive steps to conserve and preserve the collections in its custody, including the physical structure, through 2025.
Housed in a historic cape-style 1839 House with attached museum, SHHMRC is located at 66 Elm St. Its mission statement establishes that it “… shall for educational, literacy, and historical purposes maintain, operate, conduct and manage a museum in the Town of Skowhegan. Said museum shall collect, display, preserve and maintain records, books, manuscripts, charts, maps and other materials, articles and items of historical or antiquarian interest pertaining to Skowhegan.” Its unique collection includes documents/records relating to other central Maine communities as well as national historic documents and items that date back to before the American Revolution. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
SHHMRC offers exhibits reflecting the times and lives of Skowhegan-area ancestors. Staff offer on-site, community- and school-based programs and activities. Seasonally, it offers curator-guided house and museum tours as well as on-site technology enhanced exhibits, guided tours of its heirloom gardens, and community-based, technology-enhanced, guided walking tours of four designated Skowhegan Historic areas. SHHMRC offers community-based themed programs throughout the year.
SHHRRC is open from June to mid-October. Hours are Monday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn more at www.skowheganhistoryhouse.org.
