When I consider what organizations and causes I want to support with my hard-earned money, I ask myself what good will my donation do? What will they do with my money?
If you ask those same questions, I can assure you that Grant County Historical Society will use your funds wisely. Since 1935, volunteers have steered the organization and given generously so that our generation and future generations will have access to the manuscripts, one of a kind photographs, clothing, tools, and other “material culture” held by the Society. These 35,000 objects tell multiple and complex stories about our collective past. They are exhibited at the Grant County History Museum and at the Mitchell-Rountree Stone Cottage in Platteville. They are studied and puzzled over by researchers- history enthusiasts, school-age students and their teachers, and professional historians- at our Grant County Research Center.
We maintain three historic buildings. Our headquarters are at the Grant County Research Center at 129 E Maple St in Lancaster, which previously housed The Cunningham Museum. The vast resources of the Grant County Genealogy Society are on the first floor along with the Historical Society’s archives and offices. On the second floor of the old Cunningham Museum building we are developing a safe storage home for our artifacts. With conditions moderated by an independent HVAC system, we can protect our vast collections for generations to come.
In the basement, we store many of our artifacts. Removing artifacts from the moist basement is a primary goal to protect the collections. Your donation will go towards maintaining the integrity of this historic building and protecting the artifacts. We need to purchase 10 large shelving units that cost about $200 each. We also need hundreds of acid-free archivally safe boxes in which sorted, cleaned, and catalogued artifacts will be placed for their safety and longevity. These boxes are very expensive as they are specially treated so that the box will not harm the contents within. Boxes and other supplies to preserve the documents and photograph collection alone will cost about $5000. Boxes to store our beautiful costume collection and military uniforms will cost another $2000. To supervise this large project, we need trained curatorial help. These are not frivolous purchases, but are meant to save the collection or our kids and grand-kids and their kids.
Next door to the Research Center at 135 E Maple St in Lancaster is our new Grant County History Museum. Chocked full of interesting and well documented exhibits that tell the story of our region, this Museum space is meant to create excitement and curiosity about our history. It is intended to be a gathering space for the communities we serve.
When we move past the Covid-19 pandemic, we know this will be a dynamic place with activities and programs for young and old alike. The historic building that houses the Museum has a water leakage problem during heavy rain storms. We need to fix this problem as soon as possible so we can continue to build out the lower level of the building to conduct workshops, demonstrations, and lectures. The cost of the stonework repair and building out the lower level to become a multi-use space is estimated to be about $10,000. Much of the labor for these projects is donated. We have an awesome volunteer crew!
We also maintain and preserve the Mitchell-Rountree Stone Cottage in Platteville, sited on 2.5 acres on Lancaster St at the corner of Madison. This amazing property was bequeathed to the Society by Laura J Rountree, a great grand-daughter of the original owner. Reverend Samuel Mitchell, a Revolutionary War veteran from Virginia, and his wife Eleanor, decided to retire in Platteville so they could be near their daughter. In 1837, they purchased forty acres for just $50.00 and built the Stone Cottage in a unique architectural style known as Virginia Tidewater. It is the oldest home in Platteville but also a rare example of this type of early home and an architectural gem. Laura J Rountree lived in the home from the day she was born in 1870 to the day she passed away in 1966. She made it her life’s work to preserve the Cottage to its beauty and charm. Her 2.5 acres of property, the Cottage, her furnishings and effects were donated to the Grant County Historical Society in 1959. The Society raised money in the early 1960s to allow Laura to remain in the home during her last years.
The home needs continual maintenance and sometimes repairs and rehabilitation. Currently the Society is raising funds to build a new front porch railing, replace seventeen broken window panes, tuckpoint the stone exterior, and complete a non-invasive weather-proofing project. These projects which are sorely needed are estimated to cost $5,000. We recently received a small grant from the Platteville Community Fund to pay for some of this, but your donation is needed to fill the funding gap.
The Cottage houses over 3000 artifacts left by Laura Rountree which need preservation and care. We received a Covid-19 Emergency grant in August to begin cataloging and housing the artifacts that are not on display in acid-free boxes. To complete this project with the cost of a Collections Manager to oversee volunteer efforts and buy the remaining needed boxes and supplies, we estimate this project to cost about $12,000. We also plan to create new exhibits during the next year.
So you can see, with the energy and commitment of our volunteer team, part-time professional oversight, and your donation, we can preserve, teach, and share the history of Grant County and southwest Wisconsin for generations that come. We can create interesting, thought-provoking exhibits, offer programs for all age groups, come together with our neighbors, and meet new friends as we explore the rich cultures and history of Grant County.
Please become a member today or donate toward one of the projects mentioned above. We need you! Click here to learn about becoming a supporter!
