The Winter Work of Building the Museum

Dear Friend of the Museum –

The new construction sign outside the Industrial History Center in the Upper Millyard. Work on our project will begin shortly. (Priscilla Serefin, designer.) Click to enlarge.

The winter season is a time for planning and preparation for the coming year. Generally we organize the program calendar and special projects, and develop the plan of work, our goals, and the budget for the year ahead.

This year our winter workload also included planning and fundraising for the Industrial History Center. We are pleased to announce that work is about to begin on the project. Needless to say, with these important initiatives underway, work in the ACM office has been robust and involved many new activities.

Here are some of the behind the scenes details –

In the area of grant writing - we have submitted applications that if successful, would support the museum in important ways. The process of preparing a grant application includes research to confirm the project aligns with the criteria of each funding agency, and then the planning to design a project that will benefit the ACM. There is never a guarantee a grant request will be approved. The process itself is beneficial and has helped us strengthen our plans and build confidence in our program.

Funding requests have been submitted to the Mass Cultural Council (MCC) for the Cultural Facilities Program, which would support the capital campaign, and to the MCC for the Gateway Program which provides support for operations. We have also submitted a Letter of Interest for the Essex County Community Foundation “Creative County” initiative, which would support our inaugural year of programming in the Industrial History Center. We will not know about our requests for several months, receiving any one of these requests would be a great benefit for the ACM.

In research - our Industrial Survey Group continues to explore new topics in Amesbury history. Some are connected to buildings, some to collections, and some to general research. Team members are exploring the history of the Counting House – one of the older and least understood structures in the millyard. We are analyzing the fabric of the building along with deeds and maps to determine the age and early uses of the building. And we are developing a history of 29 Water Street – the Biddle & Smart building once intended as our heritage center. The study of these two buildings connect us to the carriage and textile industries, the operations that came before and then after – and the many people who were part of these companies.

Stitching a hat at the Merrimac Hat Co. in 1944 – an image in the newly acquired collection. (Photographer unknown.)

In collections - the museum has partnered with the Merrimac Hat Museum and acquired a collection of photographs that document work at the hat company in the 1940s. Studying these images will help us develop a more complete history of this company.

In programs and community involvement - our Board committees have welcomed new members who bring new ideas and expand the work of the museum. There are some new additions to the May 2 Family Day in the Millyard. And for 2020, we’ve adopted a theme of “Industrial Power” to organize programs throughout the year. The Bailey family Lecture planned for April 22 will explore sustainability and resilience in our community.

A closing note of thanks to everyone who contributed to the 2019 Annual Fund – we are close enough to declare success – with nearly $12,200 received. Thanks for this contribution above and beyond your membership donation.

2020 is shaping up to be a great year for the Amesbury Carriage Museum. Each of you are part of our project – thank you for your support and interest.

Here is to great things ahead!

John Mayer
Executive Director
jmayer@amesburycarriagemuseum.com