The Merrill Historical Society has begun a new Capital Campaign to raise $700,000 to build a preservation center, attached to our current History & Culture Center at 100 E. Third St.
We hope to break ground this fall.
In 1999 the MHS was renting a house museum with a limited amount of artifact and document storage. We acquired the 1929 American Legion building as a means to gather together collections scattered in various locations throughout the community. The deficiencies that would keep this from being a perfect or a permanent solution to our storage needs, soon became evident. After purchasing the Bethlehem Lutheran Church and property, our vision became one single structure, housing the museum, historical society research library, and our collections.
Having been in the new Merrill History and Culture Center for several years, we know the capabilities of our exhibit space and have an understanding of the types and numbers of artifacts we will be able to use in the future. This valuable knowledge has aided in the design of an addition to our present facility, that will provide a 21st-century preservation environment to a variety of collections.
With membership approval, the Board has been pursuing funding for this $700,000 preservation project.
We have a good start.
The Bierman Foundation has generously pledged $500,000. Members of the Board have collectively donated or pledged $40,000. We are in the process of submitting grant applications to several local and area foundations.
Now we are asking for your financial support.
A brochure and pledge card was mailed out to all historical society members on July 12th, that reviews the significant problems we face with our current storage building, gives examples of some of the irreplaceable artifacts in our collections, addresses several essential questions about the proposed plan, and includes a diagram of the storage addition.
If you have further questions or would like a brochure, please contact Pat Burg or Bea Lebal at the museum (715) 536-5652.
Help us provide a secure future for our past.