Historic Preservation Workshops
Beyond the Velvet Ropes: Successful House Museums for the 21st Century
Agenda
Monday, March 10 – Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Sunday, March 9
5:00-7:00 Registration Open
6:00-7:30 Opening reception (no host cash bar) at the Jefferson Street Inn City Grill.
7:30- Dinner and Discussion
We will provide group leader(s) and dinner locations for those who want to participate in spirited pre-conference discussions on relevant topics with other Conference attendees. The list of topics/locations will be available at registration. Please note that the cost of dinner is not included in the cost of registration.
Monday, March 10
7:30-8:30 Breakfast
Breakfast round table discussions. Group leaders will be located at different tables in the Jefferson Street Inn City Grill to provide informal and one-on-one discussion opportunities about topics important to you during breakfast.
8:30-8:45 Welcome
8:45-9:45 Sustainability + House Museums: More than Just Buzzwords.
James Vaughn, Vice President for Stewardship, National Trust for Historic Preservation
The word sustainable is bandied about quite a bit these days, used to describe everything from agriculture to business practices, but what does it mean when it comes to house museums? What makes a house museum sustainable? In this keynote address Jim Vaughn will discuss this issue which was the hot topic of conversation at a recent gathering of historic house museum leaders held at Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate in Tarrytown NY. Learn what makes a house museum sustainable and get the inside scoop on the “call to action” issued at the meeting which has the house museum community buzzing.
9:45-10:45 It’s All about Your Mission.
Barbara Silberman, Consultant, Heritage Partners. Boston, MA
House museums exist to serve the public. But how can Board members, staff and volunteers at historic sites with very limited or seasonal hours serve the community in which they are located? Learn about how you can fulfill your mission year round through partnerships.
10:45-11:00 Break
11:00-12:00 Creative Historic House Museum Programming: A Panel Discussion.
Sean Malone, President, Ten Chimneys, Genesee Depot, WI
Buddy Huffaker, Executive Director, Aldo Leopold Foundation, Baraboo, WI
Jim Stroschein, President, Mineral Point Historical Society, Mineral Point, WI
With so many things competing for people’s attention, regularly attracting new and return visitors to your site can be a challenge. Find out what other historic house museum managers have done to create engaging, exciting, educational programming that continually draws people to their property.
12:00-1:30 Lunch
12:30-1:15 Luncheon Presentation:
New Solutions for House Museums: Five Stewardship Alternatives
Donna Ann Harris, Heritage Consulting Inc. Philadelphia, PA
Facing decreasing visitation, shrinking budgets, and a host of other challenges, many house museums are reexamining their role as stewards of historic properties. Hear about a recent book that details a wide variety of pioneering solutions that house museum stewards in the United States and Canada have implemented to transition their historic site to a new owner or user, thus preserving the historic building for generations to come.
1:30-2:30 A Field Guide to Historic House Care
Andrew Fielding, Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office
Learn how to head off expensive repairs through regular inspection, proper maintenance, and good project planning. Learn the basics of cyclical maintenance, the fundamentals of project planning, and how a historic structure report is essential to accomplishing a comprehensive restoration. You will get a sneak peek at the Wisconsin Historical Society’s upcoming homeowners’ web guide. This guide will offer comprehensive advice and assistance for all homeowners, including museums.
2:30-3:30 Assessing Collections: Collections’ Relevance to your House Museum
Ann L. Koski, Museum Director, Wisconsin Historical Society
Many house museums have extensive collections of artifacts, but how much of the collection has direct connection to the house being interpreted? How are the other artifacts being used to support the interpretation of the house museum? Hear from the director of the Wisconsin Historical Society Museum about how to assess and use your collections to interpret your site, and what to do with objects that do not “fit.”
3:30-3:45 Break
3:45-4:45 Two case studies of Sustainable House Museums.
Dana Groves, Historic New Carlisle, IN
Michael Douglass, Villa Louis, Prairie du Chien , WI
Hear from the directors of two fascinating historic house museums who took different paths to assure that their historic site has the funds and public interest to sustain the site for generations to come.
4:45-5:30 Applying for Jeffris Foundation Funding, the Application Process Explained. Trent Margrif, Director, Wisconsin Field Office, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Oshkosh, WI
The Jeffris Family Foundation is dedicated to Wisconsin's cultural history and heritage through preserving regionally and nationally important historic buildings and decorative arts projects. The Foundation supports significant projects that strive for high preservation standards and show a strong degree of local support. Since it was established in 1979, the Foundation has provided close to $1 million annually in grants to numerous projects in the state of Wisconsin. Learn what type of projects the Foundation funds, how the application and review process works, and what materials are needed to approach the Foundation for funding.
5:30-6:30 Free time
6:30-7:30 Reception
Yawkey House Museum
403 McIndoe Street, Wausau, WI.
Built in 1900 for Cyrus and Alice Yawkey, this restored Classical Revival style home now functions as a historic house museum and offers regular tours during the week.
7:30- Dinner on your own
Tuesday, March 11
8:00-9:00 Breakfast
Breakfast round table discussions. Group leaders will be located at different tables in the Jefferson Street Inn City Grill to provide informal and one on one discussion opportunities about topics important to you during breakfast.
9:00-10:00 Turning Visitors into Members and Donors
Martin A. Conover, MPA, CFRE, Vice President of Development
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities
Does your house museum have a membership program? If so, do you know you can rely on members for regular and predictable support? What if every visitor to your house museum also became a member? If you don’t have a membership program, learn what is needed to create one. If you have a membership program, learn how to grow your membership base and create new donors to your organization.
10:00-12:00 Organizing for a Capital Campaign
Jodi Bender Sweeney, Sweeney Group
Capital campaign, two words that strike fear in the hearts of many. Learn what exactly is a capital campaign, how to prepare for one and most importantly how to execute it successfully.
Noon - 1:15 Lunch: You will have time to draft an Action Plan for your property that will carry your organization through the next 3-5 years.
1:15 - 5:00 Bus departs to the Fox Tale and Silver Fox Retreat, Hamburg, WI
In the early 1900’s, the Fromm brothers started a business that eventually was described as the biggest commercial fur farm in the world. This complex of residential buildings and farm structures, formerly known as The Fromm Brothers Fur Farm, is currently being restored and used as a corporate retreat center. The tour will include a visit to the estate’s three story 1926 boarding house, 5,600 square foot “Clubhouse”, and the original structure where the furs were prepared and auctioned. You will also have an opportunity to speak with the owners about their experience in adaptively reusing one of Wisconsin’s truly unique historic resources.The Fromm Brothers Fur and Ginseng Farm Complex were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
Maps will be available if you wish to take your own car.
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