A publication of the american association for state and local history #244

How Sustainable Is Your Historic House Museum? By AASLH’s Historic House Affinity Group Committee

Dateline: Anytown, USA Headline: Historic House Museum Permanently Closed

nfortunately this is an all too common story these days as funding for small museums becomes scarce, hours donated to docent programs and boards of directors decline, and the public has multiple educational and recreational venues from which to choose. As staff and volunteers at historic house museums, we understand the need to preserve and interpret local history and Urelate it to broader regional and national themes. But the myriad of challenges we face, including declining public visitation and mounting maintenance expenses, can sometimes be overwhelming.

How can your historic house museum avoid pitfalls and take advantage of help that is available?

How do you even know if your organization is in trouble or if it is just experiencing a couple of bad

years? The Historic House Committee of the American Association for State and Local History

(AASLH) is tackling these questions in an effort to forestall the decline of historic house museums in

peril and outline a path back to a healthy and vigorous future.

1 How Sustainable Is Your Historic House Museum?

Background the sections. In fact, in preparing this leaflet, it was dif- he purpose of this technical leaflet is to ficult to assign these house museums to any one area. provide boards and staff of historic house This sustainability tool provides historic house museums with a tool for assessing the museum leaders with the bookends needed to ask long-term strength, stability, and staying questions and evaluate responsive actions and it supple- power of their own missions, governance, ments the AASLH Standards Program currently in Tprogrammatic, financial, and stewardship responsi- development. Staff, board, and volunteers of historic bilities and activities. It is the result of work begun house museums who are asking questions and seek- in 1999 by AASLH’s Historic House Committee ing answers might start with this tool, then use the and with conferences sponsored by AASLH, the Standards Program to develop and map corrections National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the once it is available to the field beginning in June 2009.1 American Association for Museums in both 2002 and In presenting this tool, the Committee included 2006. The issue of “too many house museums” led to historic house museums with a variety of governance discussions of what makes a historic house museum and management arrangements. One is a property of sustainable and which historic house museums might the National Trust, one is a state-owned and man- serve as good examples of sustainability. In 2006, aged site, several operate with independent boards, the Historic House Committee initiated a project to and one example is a consortium of historic house identify characteristics of sustainable historic house museums. The committee also considered geographic museums and to pinpoint characteristics of historic representation. We urge readers to contact us with house museums at risk. The purpose of this leaflet is other examples of sustainable historic house museums to generate ideas and discussion regarding long-term for possible inclusion in a future publication.2 sustainability, defined as the long-term capacity of a stewardship organization to ensure adequate audi- Characteristics of a Sustainable ences and financial support to preserve and maintain Historic House Museum its buildings and landscapes. he following eleven points summarize the In developing this leaflet, the Committee asked signs of a healthy, thriving historic house for feedback from AASLH members at two AASLH museum. While few museums meet all of Annual Meetings in 2007 and 2008, from leaders in the characteristics, most strong and viable the field, and from some funders. The Committee organizations embody a preponderance of initially based the examples of sustainable historic Tthem. By weighing your museum’s structure and per- house museums included in this leaflet on a thorough formance against these eleven points, you can gauge search for house museums to consider for examples the vitality of your operation and devise a path to a of sustainability. Once we compiled a list of house stronger future. museums to consider, we engaged in a comprehensive vetting process that included interviews with execu- 1. A sustainable historic house tive directors and other staff, review of some specific museum serves its audience and is house museum documents including financial records, valued by its community. review of Guidestar and other public financial records, • Do historic house leaders:

programmatic offerings, visitation statistics, commu-  Know the site’s neighbors?

nity participation and value, professional and board  Identify audience needs and interests?

development activities, the state of buildings and col-  Regularly identify new audiences in planning lections, and the state of board recruitment and staff programs and events? turnover. In addition, staff at historic house museums • Do community groups and local institutions invite chosen as examples of a particular characteristic were historic house leaders to participate in their pro- then asked questions specific to that area. grams and plans? This list of characteristics is intended as a tool In Practice: Awbury Arboretum Association— for self-assessment. Each sustainable characteristic Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (www.awbury.org) is followed by a set of questions for reflection and Mission: The Awbury Arboretum Association’s mission discussion. It is unlikely that any one historic house is to preserve and interpret Awbury’s historic house and museum would answer “yes” to all of these questions. landscape, thereby connecting an urban community with However, more “yes” answers will indicate a higher nature and history. likelihood of sustainability over time. In Action: The Awbury Arboretum Association At the end of each set of questions, there is an ex- is located within the historic district of Awbury ample of a historic house museum that addresses those Arboretum. Homes surround this historic site and questions and associated solutions head-on. Most of neighbors serve on the board. It strives to instill val- the historic house museums cited as examples for one ues of preservation, conservation, and sustainability of section could be used to as examples for any or all of the natural and built environment, through job train-

2 NYS OPRHP, Olana State Historic Site provide more opportunities for employment for provide moreopportunities foremployment for years include expanding the landscape company to others areinvolvedinlocalschools. longs to the Olney Redevelopment Corporation and within twomilesofthesite.One boardmemberbe- third ofitstwenty-oneboard members mustlive ing strongtiestoitslocalcommunity. Atleastone- apprentices fromitsprogramannually. schoolchildren peryearandgraduateseighttotwelve Awbury Arboretumservesapproximately 5,500 Office of Watersheds, andGermantownHighSchool. Corporation, thePhiladelphiaWater Department munity partnersincludingtheOlneyRedevelopment Awbury Arboretumworkedwithmany differentcom- cational programmingandthefor-profit company, well aslocalresidents.Indevelopingboththeedu- services to other nonprofit sites and organizations as lished, successfullandscapingcompanythatprovides be employed.Thefor-profit groupisnow anestab- for-profit landscaping company where graduates may success oftheprogram,organizationdevelopeda teen totwenty-fouryearsofage.Asaresultthe clude jobtrainingforat-riskyoungadultsfromeigh the sectionofPhiladelphiaknownasGermantown. been in the forefront of environmental education in dren who rarely experience the outdoors, Awbury has with educationalprogramminggearedtolocalchil ed bytheneighborhoodandcommunity. Beginning ing andeducationalprogramsendorsedsupport The site’s organizational goals for the next two The makeupoftheboardisessentialtomaintain- In 2005,thesiteexpandeditsprogrammingtoin- and TheOlanaPartnership. has beenahallmarkofboththeOlanaHistoricSite From itsearliestbeginnings,excellentstewardship - - - center.org) Hartford, Connecticut(www.harrietbeecherstowe will leadtoamoresustainablecommunity. tion, communitygardening,andotherprogramsthat rounding neighborhoodsbyprovidingscienceeduca- the Arboretumtoexpanditsrelevancesur of trained apprenticesandtousethefifty-fiveacres positive change. and work,inspires commitmenttosocialjusticeand life her of discussion vibrant promotes collections, historic Center’s the and home Hartford Stowe’s interprets and • •  • • • inspiring. are museums house historic Sustainable 2. visibility for the site. Programs are evaluated in part visibility forthe site.Programsareevaluated inpart inspiration for action, financial viability, and increased its website.Staff ensuresthatallprogramsaddress distributed materialsandfeatures itprominentlyon The Center lists its mission statement on all publicly rary issuesandactionsinorder toaffectsocialchange. the author’s wordstoconnectpeople withcontempo- work on a daily basis? outside the organization? inspiring toboard,staff,volunteers,andaudiences? What about the site is inspiring and why? Do staffmembersusethisstatementtoguidetheir Is this statement widely distributed both inside and Does the statement provide direction for the future? Has leadership developed a vision statement that is In Action: Mission: In Practice: The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center preserves preserves Center Stowe Beecher Harriet The The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center uses Harriet BeecherStoweCenter— -

3 technical leaflet #244 How Sustainable Is Your Historic House Museum?

based on the actions people are inspired to take fol- a catering kitchen, and a gift shop. This small site, lowing their participation. with an annual budget of $120,000 and a staff of four, For example, the Center hosts a series of salons provides leadership at all levels of the museum profes- that draw participants from suburbs surrounding sion. Their director is active in AASLH and other Hartford. Guest speakers begin each salon with brief professional organizations, serving as the chair of the remarks that present an issue to be discussed. Next, a AASLH Small Museum Affinity Group Committee staff moderator invites audience participation. Each from 2004 to 2008, presently as chair of the Seminar session ends with a brainstorming discussion of the for Historical Administration Alumni Committee, and actions individuals can take. When participants at- as the 2010 AASLH Annual Meeting Program Chair. tending a salon on human trafficking learned of a In addition to being involved on a local, state, and well-known website that enabled this practice, they regional level with professional history organizations, contacted the website, ended their own use of it, and the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum has spread the word to others about this practice. Another been recognized nationally for its outstanding pub- salon on food distribution in urban areas inspired lic programs. In 2008, IMLS awarded the museum participants to become involved with local farmers’ a National Medal for Museum and Library Service, markets and the local food bank. These salons have the nation’s highest honor for museums and libraries. been extremely well received and have grown largely IMLS honored the institution for its Lew Wallace by word-of-mouth. All programs, including teacher Youth Academy, which incorporates Wallace’s life workshops, incorporate a section on “Inspiration for story into lessons in problem solving, creating art, Action.” Staff at the Stowe Center follow-up with and serving others; its Taste of Montgomery County teachers to learn how students are inspired to act. event that created an economic engine for small busi- nesses in the area and brought new people to the mu- 3. Sustainable historic house museum seum’s campus to celebrate local food and music; and leaders adhere to a standard of its participation in the public forum “Build a Better excellence. Downtown.” Additionally, the museum has ensured • Do leaders: the lasting legacy of General Wallace with the recent

 Model excellence? rehabilitation of his carriage house as an Interpretive

 Encourage and provide for professional develop- Center complete with a state-of-the-art collections ment and professional networking for staff? storage facility. Through exceptional educational

 Encourage and provide opportunities to visit and programming, collaborations with local and state or- learn about how other historic house museums fulfill ganizations, active collections care, and community their mission and their stewardship responsibilities? development opportunities, the General Lew Wallace • Are professional museum and preservation stan- Study and Museum fulfills its mission to “celebrate dards practiced at the highest level? and renew belief in the power of the individual spirit • Is the historic house museum recognized by the to affect American history and culture.” field, by its funders, by its audiences and/or stake- holders for excellence? Has it received awards or 4. Sustainable historic house museum other tangible evidence of its excellence? leaders embrace a culture of learning • Does it attract new audiences and new support for and a spirit of inquiry. its activities on a regular basis? • Is there a culture of learning in the organization? • Do board members bring their families and friends • Is ongoing scholarly research expected and sup- to visit? ported? • Does staff bring family and friends to visit? • Are board members engaged in learning about the In Practice: General Lew Wallace Study and history, preservation, and activities of the historic Museum—Crawfordsville, IN (www.ben-hur.com) house museum? Mission: The mission of the General Lew Wallace • Are board members engaged in continuous learning Study and Museum is to celebrate and renew belief in the about their roles and fiduciary responsibilities? power of the individual spirit to affect American history In Practice: The Kearney Park Project of the and culture. Kearney Historic Site and the Fresno City and In Action: The Museum is located on three-and-a- County Historical Society—Fresno, California (www. half wooded acres on the site where General Wallace valleyhistory.org) wrote his masterwork, Ben-Hur. Wallace’s personal Mission: To collect, preserve, interpret, and hold in study has been lovingly preserved for over a century public trust the records and artifacts that document the and contains original artifacts from every period of his history of the people of Fresno County and the Central life. His carriage house, also on the property, contains Valley region of California, to provide the community with a state-of-the-art collection storage facility, an annu- educational opportunities through excellence in programs, ally changing exhibit space, rentable meeting space, exhibitions, and use of its collections, and to encourage and 4 General Lew Wallace Study and Museum promote the preservation and conservation ofthecommu promote thepreservationandconservation building an urban museum in the mid-1990s to its tary foundation, theboard’s visionhasevolvedfrom academic andlayaudiences.With asoliddocumen- today houses an extensive archive that serves both of the region’s history, the Fresno Historical Society Kearney, California’s RaisinKing. nal structures and interprets the story of M. Theo est challenges.Thehistoricsiteincludesfiveorigi- create acentertoaddresssomeofCalifornia’s great- interest in community building, and a commitment to and itsstory, adesire tomakehistoryrelevant,an County HistoricalSocietyhasapassionforCalifornia Kearney Historic Site and the Fresno City and greater Americanheritage. to anappreciation ofourheritageanditsplacewithin nity’s historicandculturalresources withacommitment Organized in 1919 predominately as a repository Organized in1919predominately asarepository In Action: highest honorformuseumsandlibraries. for MuseumandLibraryService,thenation’ W levels, IMLSawardedtheGeneralLew at thelocal,state,regional,andnational In 2008,dueinparttoitsstaff’s involvement allace StudyandMuseumaNationalMedal The Kearney Park Project of the s - •  • • •  •  •  •  field. professional the in and communities their in decision-makers and leaders are who organization the outside individuals and groups to connected historic housemuseum? zations? Dotheyusetheseconnectionstohelpthe activities andevents? work togetherforcommongoals andagendas? to participate in the activities of their organizations? elected officials? events? Do historic house leaders participate in regional Do historichouse leadersparticipateinregional Does the local news media report on the museum’s Do historic house leaders and community leaders Do communityleadersinvite historichouseleaders Do historichouseleadersmeetandcorrespondwith Do boardmembersbelongtovariouslocalorgani Do historichouseleadersregularlyattendlocal house museums are museums house historic Successful 5. for theKearneyParkProject. late asolidandviablestrategy allowing theboardtoformu- tutions has been invaluable in experiences oftheirhostinsti- learn fromthemanyvaried able to ask hard questions and light oftheexperience.Being vance andareoftenthehigh- museums aresetupinad- members ofthedestination Meetings withstaffandboard its history, andgovernance. tion abouteachorganization, containing pertinentinforma- extensive research booklets pare foreachboardmember tural institutions.Theypre- and whathasnotatothercul- ties to see what has worked junkets aslearningopportuni- plans andorchestratesthese staff member. Staffcarefully director andoneadditional own expense,alongwiththe members andspousesattheir twenty totwenty-fiveboard country, usually attended by sites andmuseumsaroundthe finding excursionstohistoric extensive week-longfact- its boardmembers. to educate itself, its staff, and that theleadershiptooktime rushing intoplanningmeant cultural anchortoday. Not plans forbecominganagri- The staff arranged for three The staffarrangedforthree -

5 technical leaflet #244 How Sustainable Is Your Historic House Museum?

and national activities of the professional field? hundredth anniversary of an important local bridge In Practice: Cliveden-Upsala of the National has received city-wide coverage and other media at- Trust for Historic Preservation—Philadelphia, tention. Finally, board and staff attend many local Pennsylvania (www.cliveden.org)3 community events and fundraisers and participate in Mission: To help people understand our shared history national professional meetings. and motivate them to preserve it by providing access to the rich continuity of history and preservation in one com- 6. Sustainable historic house museum munity and family over time, and by offering direction leaders are proactive governors and and knowledge about preserving our built environment. managers of their organizations. In Action: Within the last ten years, Cliveden has • Do all board members understand and adhere to moved from a traditional house museum to an active appropriate roles and fiduciary responsibilities? partner in the community and the region that sur- • Are all board members involved in fundraising and/ rounds it. Their strategy is to develop an approach that or building endowment? includes the highest museum and preservation stan- • Do all board members make an annual financial dards for operating historic house museums and in- contribution to the historic house museum? depth community engagement, resulting in economic • Are financial records timely and up-to-date? • Are other records up-to- date and timely? • Do board members attend community events? Do S urvey – 1972 they serve as ambassadors

B uildings of the historic house mu- seum? • Is board leadership re- cruiting new younger H istoric American members? • Does board leadership adhere to term limits and by-laws? • Are there succession plans for board members, com- mittee members, and staff? In Practice: James K. Polk Home—Columbia, Tennessee (www.jamesk- Over the past decade, Cliveden has become an active partner in the community surrounding it including hosting community polk.com) events such as a reenactment and a jazz festival and its staff Mission: The mission of volunteering with local boards and business associations. the James K. Polk Memorial Association is to operate, maintain, preserve, and re- revitalization. The site hosts several community-wide store the Polk Ancestral Home and properties, its grounds events on its grounds including the reenactment of and appurtenances, and to perpetuate the memory of the the Battle of Germantown, jazz festivals, the police eleventh President of the United States. district’s party for children, and a youth offenders In Action: This historic house museum has an an- program. The director serves on the board of the local nual budget of $230,000 and manages the home community improvement association and other staff of the nation’s eleventh president. Mrs. Polk’s serve on committees of the business association. great-great-niece founded the Polk Association in In the last five years, leadership at Cliveden par- 1924. Through its first fifty years, the board’s vi- ticipated with several other community develop- sion and persistence helped sustain the Polk Home ment corporations in urban planning for the area, as a volunteer-managed site. In the 1970s, the Polk and worked with multiple cultural, community, Association hired its first staff members and began and neighborhood organizations to provide after- the Polk Home’s transition into a professionally oper- school programs, an esteemed young writers’ pro- ated museum. Since then, the board has emphasized gram, and preservation workshops for homeowners governance, fundraising, and long-range planning in cooperation with the Preservation Alliance for in the site’s operation. To achieve its goal of site ex- Greater Philadelphia. Its current exhibit on the one pansion, the board initiated a capital improvement

6 G l  Vision museum mayneedtoimprove. characteristics ofhistorichousemuseumsinperil.Usethislisttohighlightareaswhichyour The AASLHHistoricHouseCommitteedevelopedthefollowingchecklisttohelpidentify l  l  l  Staffing l  l  l  l  l  Financial l  l  l  l  l  l  l  l  l  l  l  l  l  Board l  Mission communicated to staff. communicated tostaff. There arenoperformanceexpectations forstaffortheseexpectationsarenot Staff arereviewedirregularly or notatallonlythetimeofcrisis. There ishighstaffturnover. There isnoplannedgivingprogram. There isnoendowmentorthegenerateslessthan15%ofoperatingbudget. There isanoperatingdeficit. There isnoaudit. There arenochecksandbalancesinuseforhandlingfinancial transactions. The boardisnotawareofanyproblemsand/ortakingno actiontoremedythem. There arenoregulartreasurer’s reports. There isnostrategicplanortheitselfjustalistofideas. There isnoethicsorconflictofinterestpolicy. evaluator. There isnoregularboardperformanceevaluation,eitherbytheoranoutside house museum. No oneontheboardattendscommunitymeetingsoreventsasarepresentativeofhistoric No oneontheboardlivesincommunityservedbyhousemuseum. of theboard. There isnosuccessionplanforboardmembersandonewillingtobepresidentorchair There arefew, ifany, activeboardcommittees. There isnotafullcomplementofboardmembers. Recruiting andretainingnewboardmembersischallenging. they arefulfillingtheirfiduciaryandstewardshipresponsibilities. Most boardmembersbelievethatin“keepingthedoorsopen”ormaintainingstatusquo, Most boardmembersareunawareoftheirfiduciaryandstewardshipresponsibilities. Few peopleinvolvedwiththehistorichousemuseumknoworunderstandmission. or maintainingthestatusquoisacceptable. Most peopleinvolvedwiththehistorichousemuseumbelievethat“keepingdoorsopen” Historic HouseMuseumsinPeril Characteristics of

A page 1of2 F

7 technical leaflet #244 How Sustainable Is Your Historic House Museum?

Characteristics of G Historic House Museums in Peril F

l Staff performance reviews are usually carried out by the president of the board without consultation with the other board members.

l There is no one on the staff from the community in which the historic house museum is located.

l There is no one on the staff who attends community meetings or events as a representative of the historic house museum.

Programs

l There are no historic structures reports for any of the historic buildings under the care of the board.

l There are no landscape or garden surveys (if the historic house has a historic landscape). l There is no little or no regular maintenance of buildings or grounds. l Repairs are performed on an emergency basis. l Visitation has been declining over the last five to ten years. l There are few school groups visiting the house museum. l The historic house is open to visitors on a very limited basis. l There has been no new research on the house for more than five years. l There is little or no interpretation of the facts or story about the house’s history. l There is no connection made between the history of the house and current events or issues. l Docents/guides tell the same story that has been told for many years. l Routine tours are longer than one hour.

Collections

l It is difficult to plan programs because collections are poorly cataloged or are in disarray. l Gifts to the collection are accepted without review of collecting policies or knowledge of the current collection.

l There are multiple numbering systems for the collection. l There is no active review of the collection for possible deaccessioning. l Collections records are not digitized. l Collections are not safely housed or stored.

Communications

l Computer equipment is more than five years old. l There is no website and/or no email address or email is checked irregularly. l There is no current 4-color brochure. l There is no signage or other means of finding the historic house museum. l Membership is declining. A page 2 of 2 8 org Olana Partnership—Hudson, NewYork (www.nysp. to thepreservation ofhistoricstructures,designed land- •  • •  •  • • landscapes. and collections, buildings, their of stewards proactive are leaders museum house historic Sustainable 7. crisis thatthreatenstheorganization’s existence. emergencies andendowmentfundsforanyfinancial board to withdrawcapitalfundsformaintenance serves asaninstitutionalsafetynet. Policiesallowthe revenue, the principal from these restricted funds Improvement andEndowmentFundsforoperating Association usesonlytheinterestfromitsCapital not hinderongoingoperations.Andalthoughthe might prompt institutionalbelttighteningbutwould tional volunteers orcontributors. Association committee membersandactiveorganiza cession planning,mostincomingboardmembersare board offersthenomineesforoffice. To aidinsuc- Although Associationmemberselecttheofficers, teer workandsharedexpertiseascontributions). special projects(theAssociationalsocountsvolun members contribute to Polk Home operations and of the officers rotate off the board annually. All board in the organization’s by-laws and policies. One-third church buildingtodevelopasanexhibithall. property owners, and eventually purchased fund, requesteda“rightoffirstrefusal”fromadjacent budget. Therefore, a shortfall in any single category seldom exceedstwentypercentofitsentireannual Association’s budgetfromanysinglerevenuesource mittee annuallypreparesabalancedbudget.The policies donotmandateit,thesite’s budgetcom- and a hired C.P.A. Although the Association’s written ily bythePolkHome’s director, theboard’s treasurer, records. Financialrecordkeepingishandledprimar ments, codeissues,andoccupancyrequirements? professional expertiseinassessingstructuralrequire- As uses change, do historic house leaders obtain ment costsandforemergency reservefunds? annually? Aretherebudgetallocations forreplace and maintenance of the historic property budgeted landscape plansforthehistoricproperty? historic house museum? house tours? Are they truly public spaces? its strategic planning process? plan forthebestuse(s)ofbuilding(s)aspart Are adequate funds for preservation, restoration, Are adequatefundsforpreservation,restoration, Are there cyclical preservation, maintenance, and Is thereaspaceplanandmastersiteforthe Are buildingspacesavailabletothepublicbeyond Does historic house museum leadership assess and Board responsibilities and term limits are included Mission: In Practice: The organizationmaintainsthoroughfinancial andwww.olana.org The OlanaState HistoricSiteiscommitted Olana State Historic Site and The Olana StateHistoricSiteand The )

an 1880s - - - - Church’s artisticmasterpiece. public bypreservingandinterpreting Olana,Frederic the inspire to is Partnership Olana The of mission The ofitspropertytothebroadestpossibleaudience. the history gered orcompromised.Olanainterprets itscollectionsand historic, visual,andculturalresources shallnotbeendan- recreational useinsuchamannerthatOlana’s natural, passive and enjoyment public for maintained is estate archeological resources oftheOlanaestate.Thishistoric scape, siteviews,historicalandartisticcollections,the •  •  •  revenue. of sources new with conjunction in developed are programs museum house historic tour.house Sustainable traditional the beyond well extend that ways creative and innovative in interpreted are museums house historic Sustainable 8. of place that permeates the site. of placethatpermeatesthesite. to beanhonorofthehighestorder, basedonthesense Those involvedwithOlanaconsidertheirinvolvement lence inallofitspreservationandprogramactivities. with thesiteendorseandencouragevalueofexcel- Since then, all staff, volunteers, and others associated was agraduateoftheCooperstownMuseumprogram. and TheOlanaPartnership.site’s firstdirector has beenahallmarkofboththeOlanaHistoricSite landscaped acresanditsviewsheds. years, ithasadvocatedsuccessfullyforthesite,its240 including itsownexecutivedirector. Inthelastfew budget of$1millionandsupportssixfull-timestaff, the houseandcollections.ThePartnershiphasa than $12millionforrestorationandconservationof time librarianandarchivist.Ithasleveragedmore ported twopart-timecuratorialpositions,andapart- and implementanambitiousstrategicplan. funds tohireoutsideexpertisedevelop,support, In partnership with the Olana Historic Site, it raised verse arrayofskillsandexperiencestothePartnership. gan toattractnewboardmemberswhobroughtadi- fundraising untilthemid-1990s,whengroupbe- friends groupimplementedtraditionalmethodsof in raising funds for the preservation of Olana. This group, was established to assist the State of New York of Olanaandtoadvocateforthesiteitslandscape. ervation and funding opportunities for the restoration with staffattheOlanaHistoricSitetoleveragepres- sense ofplaceunique toeachsite? house museum to the world beyond its gates? that linkspasttopresentand connects thehistoric Are programs presented in different platforms (e.g., Are programspresented indifferentplatforms (e.g., Does interpretationbuildon and enhancethe Are programsbasedonacentral ideaorhypothesis From its earliest beginnings, excellent stewardship Since thattime,TheOlanaPartnershiphassup- In 1971,TheOlanaPartnership,anot-for-profit In Action: The Olana Partnership works in concert The OlanaPartnershipworksinconcert

9 technical leaflet #244 How Sustainable Is Your Historic House Museum?

Web, audio, exhibit, interactives)? • Has the board made choices about which ideas to • Are programs multi-disciplinary in nature (e.g., pursue and which ones are not feasible? poetry readings, plays, education programs that ad- • Does the strategic plan include a budget, timeline, dress multiple curricula standards, dances, science assignment of responsibility, and workplan for each projects that include historic elements)? acceptable idea? • Do programs charge adequate admission, produce • Do members and other stakeholders have input into products, or provide other sources of earned revenue? the strategic plan? In Practice: Lower East Side Tenement Museum— • Do historic house leaders involve neighbors and New York, New York (www.tenement.org) community decision makers in the planning process? Mission: The Tenement Museum promotes tolerance • Does the planning process include evaluations and and historical perspective through the presentation and feedback from audiences, outside consultants, other interpretation of a variety of immigrant and migrant professionals in the field, funders, or others outside experiences on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, a gateway the organization? to America. • Is there an independent facilitator for the planning In Action: For more than twenty years, the Lower process? East Side Tenement Museum has developed stories In Practice: Florence Griswold Museum—Old based on the lives of the inhabitants at 97 Orchard Lyme, Connecticut (www.florencegriswoldmuseum. Street. The interpretation is highly researched and org) based on immigrant issues that are of concern to Mission: The mission of the Florence Griswold Americans today. The museum receives more than Museum is to promote the understanding of Connecticut’s 140,000 visitors annually who come from fifty states contribution to American art, with emphasis on the art, and twenty-eight foreign countries. Its website re- history, and landscape of the Lyme region. ceives more than 300,000 hits per year. In Action: In the last ten years, the Florence The work of the museum is designed to meet Griswold Museum has planned and implemented sig- the needs of current visitors and local audiences nificant changes in its approach to visitors and their including new immigrants. Staff screen all museum needs and interests. Leaders based all of these chang- programs for the following: visitor interest and con- es on comprehensive strategic planning that included nection, fit with school curricula, financial sustain- participation by a diverse board, local community ability, and historical accuracy. The museum makes leaders, and sustained executive leadership over the available classes in English-as-a-second language course of the project. Staff worked with other outside and provides programming related to the topic of experts on specific focused projects to ensure the immigration. The museum earns revenue primarily highest level of planning. Beginning with a three- through retail sales and visitor admission (general day symposium that included experts in several areas adult admission is $17). In this past year, visitation of historic site management and interpretation, the has increased more than twenty percent. project has included restoration of the 1817 National The museum’s programming is diverse, varied, and Historic Landmark Florence Griswold House, a cross-disciplinary. One of its web-based projects, The boarding house for the Lyme Colony of Artists. Digital Artist in Residence, awards virtual residencies to Senior staff worked with outside consultants on emerging and established artists for exploration of con- focused aspects of the project and incorporated stra- temporary immigrant experiences. The museum pro- tegic planning for a larger visionary plan and capital vides work and display space for these artistic works. campaign as well as for more concrete programs and Since its inception, the museum has involved itself events. The museum moved all of its ancillary func- in many productive partnerships on the local, nation- tions like restrooms, meeting space, and offices out al, and international level. Each partnership promotes of the house and relocated them to other buildings recognition of the museum and its programs, while on the property. An art gallery was built to accom- attracting new visitors and new support for its work. modate a changing exhibition program and now the Major individual donors, earned revenue, and some historic house offers a consistent and compelling visi- program grants provide a majority of funding for the tor experience with seasonal changes to the interiors. museum’s programs. Tours are self-guided, a major change that took time for docents and staff to agree on, but docents now are 9. Sustainable historic house museum delighted with the new role they have that includes leaders are strategic in their thinking facilitation of conversations about the house and the and in their activities. art contained within it. • Do historic house museum leaders understand the Several challenging decisions were met with some difference between a long-term and a strategic plan? initial resistance. Yet in time, staff accommodated and • Does the strategic plan include ideas and a test of embraced all strategic changes. Today, the museum’s financial feasibility for each idea? culture reflects the importance and continuation of

10 UMass Boston and Harry R. Feldman, Inc. Boston, Massachusetts(www.paulreverehouse.org creasingly diverse audiencewithremarkable educational terprets two ofBoston’s oldesthomes.Itprovides ourin- • •  •  •  •  effectiveness. and efficiency expandpublicaccess,improve and theirunderstanding theirresources,of adaptcurrenttechnologies enhanceto preparedwellarefuturethatthefor 10.Sustainable historic housemuseums implementation ofthismajorchange. individual givinghassupportedtheplanningand meaningful. A balance of federal, state, private, and they didinthepastandreportthemasmuchmore rate theirexperiencesconsiderablyhigherthan strategic planning for most of its activities. Visitors worked? worked? dresses foreachstaffmember?Arecomputersnet advanced technologies? partners whocanextenduses andunderstandingof bers and supporters? electronic newsletterstocommunicatewithmem- dated frequently? Does themuseummaintainawebsiteandisitup- and collections information available electronically? collections, membership,anddonors? word processing,spreadsheets,anddatabasesfor Does the museum partner with technological-savvy Does themuseumuselistservs,blogs,wikis,and/or Are toursand/orothereducationalprogramming Do thecomputersincludesoftwaretofacilitate Does themuseumhavecomputersandemailad Mission: In Practice House thatmightindicateoldpriviesandotherartifacts. reveal changesinthegroundsaroundPaulRevere A teamofgraduatestudentsusedradartechnologyto The Associationactivelypreserves andin- : PaulRevereMemorialAssociation— - ) - ( •  •  •  •  languages. graphic consistent using marketed and promoted, branded, are 11.Sustainable historic housemuseums ent messagesand differentgraphics.Eventually, the any brandingor identity. Eachoneemployed differ Hollow, mostwererelativelyunknownandwithout Valley was chaotic. Other than Kykuit and Sleepy marketing effort at several historic sites in the Hudson what isatleasttenfeetbelowground. dimension ofthehouseandgrounds,withavision with a never-before understanding of every aspect and Now planning, design, and construction can begin every inchofthehouseandgroundsintheirentirety. sional lasertechnologytoprovidephotographsof free survey. Thesurveyingteamusedthree-dimen- contacted theexecutivedirectorandofferedtodoa the same time, the president of a surveying company that mightindicateoldpriviesandotherartifacts.At over the entire site, revealing changes in the ground a teamofgraduatestudentspullingradarskidplate in exploring the site. An enthusiastic response led to Massachusetts, Boston,andaskediftherewasinterest and geophysicsdepartmentattheUniversityof explore whatisaboveandbelowground. www.hudsonvalley.org other marketingmaterials? Is the efficacy of marketing materials tested? Is theefficacyofmarketingmaterialstested? Are therefundsfordistributionofrackcardsand Are therefundsforadvertising? Is thereamarketingplan? In Action: In Practice: The director contacted the coastal geology In theearlytwenty-firstcentury, the Historic Hudson Valley, New York ) century. through theearlytwentieth Boston fromtheseventeenth and neighborhood, our themes relevant tooursite, history social and issues cal experiences basedonhistori- using lasertechnologyto complex historic entire included exploringthe This sites. both of survey land comprehensive and veloped amasterplan the staffandboardde- an adjoiningsite.Next, purchased LathropPlace, Association the First, tors. its 250,000annualvisi- accommodate to addition House beganplanningan niversary, thePaulRevere tion foritscentennialan- In Action: 4

In prepara- -

11 technical leaflet #244 How Sustainable Is Your Historic House Museum?

marketing director at one site decided to work with and learning are progressing, this document can serve the other sites to establish an identity and a consistent as a quick tool for evaluating progress. graphic look that could be applied by all the sites. For more information about this project and others Each site would speak with a consistent voice and from the Historic House Museum Affinity Group, develop its promotional materials using one design. visit www.aaslh.org/hhouses.htm. The collaborative group of sites would be known as Historic Hudson Valley and the leadership at each site AASLH Historic House Museum Affinity Group would provide full backing and support for these mar- Committee: keting efforts. Soon, the collaborative decided it would Barbara Silberman, Heritage Partners Consulting, design marketing materials using the best resources Gloucester, MA, Chair5 and staff from each site (e.g., whichever site had the T. Patrick Brennan, Georgia Trust, Atlanta, GA best website would provide the basis for the group Liora Cobin, Evanston Historical Society, Evanston, IL website). The first product the collaborative produced was a coffee table book of each site with accompany- Terry Dickinson, Preservation Society of Newport County, Newport, RI ing text and full color. (Individually, no one site could develop, print, or distribute a book like this and no Kendra Dillard, Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park, Sacramento, CA one site could sell enough books to net a profit.) Later efforts included a group website, a common Wendy Franklin, California State Parks, Sacramento, CA logo, consistent-looking rack cards and websites, and Sara Harger, Kentucky Historical Society, Frankfort, KY a series of templates that could be used by any site or Bethany Hawkins, AASLH, Nashville, TN adapted by any graphic designer to create more mate- Benjamin Hruska, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ rials. The key to success for this marketing program Julie Parke, Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, Lancaster, OH was rigorous enforcement of all marketing materials, including the placement of logos, font sizes, colors, and Beth Richards, Consultant, Concord, NH other graphic elements used by each individual site. AASLH Sustainability Kit for Historic Houses Conclusion: Advisory Committee: In examining the issue of sustainability for historic Alice Smith Duncan, Hyde Hall, Cooperstown, NY house museums today, it is clear that those best suited Mark Heppner, Stan Hewyet Hall and Gardens, Akron, OH to thrive in spite of challenges now and in the future George Laughead, Ford County Historical Society, Dodge are those that possess many of the characteristics de- City, KS scribed in this leaflet. The AASLH Historic House Patricia Murphy, Oberlin Heritage Center, Oberlin, OH Committee intends that this tool will be used by his- Laurie Rayner, Connecticut Humanities Council, toric house museum leadership who want to attract Middletown, CT new audiences, new support, and find new purposes for their missions and historic properties. This tool 1 For information on AASLH’s Standards program, sponsored by can be used to quickly assess the qualities and values IMLS, please see www.aaslh.org/IncrementalStd. that are part of the culture of your historic house. It 2 See the AASLH Historic House Committee webpage at www.aaslh. org/hhouses. can help an organization to identify what might make 3 See David W. Young, “The Next Cliveden: A New Approach to the a difference in organizational thinking that will lead Historic Site in Philadelphia,” Forum Journal 22, no. 3 (Spring 2008): to thriving (as opposed to only surviving) organiza- 51-55. 4 To look at the laser photos online and view a video, go to www.bos- tions. Depending on the state of your historic house tonglobe.com and call up “A Look into the Past, with Laser Precision,” museum, it may serve as a wake-up call for board 19 May 2008. members or staff leadership who can learn what the 5 Silberman acknowledges the support of the William Penn Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Heritage Philadelphia warning signs are for historic houses in peril. If your Program for their support of the Alternative Stewardship project, which organization chooses to address some of its challeng- helped to inform her work developing this leaflet. es, this tool can serve as a guidepost or benchmark along the road to progress. As organizational thinking

© 2008 by American Association for State and Local History. Technical Leaflet #244, H“ ow Sustainable Is Your Historic House Museum?,” included in History News, volume 63, number 4, Autumn 2008. Technical Leaflets are issued by the American Association for State and Local History to provide the historical agency and museum field with detailed, up-to-date technical information.T echnical Leaflets andT echnical Reports are available through History News magazine to AASLH members or to any interested person. Membership information or additional Technical Leaflets may be acquired by contacting American Association for State and Local History, 1717 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37203-2991, 615-320-3203; fax 615-327-9013; www.aaslh.org. 12