Carnegie Historical Museum doubles visitor numbers in 2023

The Carnegie Historical Museum continues to see increased activity and growth: From 2022's total of 2400 visitors to just over 5000 in 2023. We are trying hard to make sure that growth continues in 2024.

Our staff continues to rely on the help of our many volunteers to help us keep displays current, artifacts accessioned and organized, and activities staffed. We hosted 9 class reunions in 2023--for both Fairfield High School and Parsons College--as well as tours for numerous school and home-school groups throughout the year. We organized a tag sale. We had basket-weaving workshops. We revamped some display cases that had not been changed for decades. We researched and processed hundreds of donations of historical artifacts. The list goes on . . .

The lower gallery, which contains historical items from Fairfield and Jefferson County, was recently renamed the Herring Gallery. Visitors enjoy seeing artifacts and documents pertaining to churches, schools, philanthropic and social organizations, cemeteries, industries, and businesses; the room continues to be our most popular exhibit for both local and out-of-town visitors. As donations of local history items continue to pour in, we often add new objects to the display cases.

In honor of previous director Mark Shafer, the room upstairs where Mark had his office was renamed the Shafer Gallery. Where Mark's desk was, we created a new display case where we are displaying items from two prominent Fairfield Industries from the past: Iowa Malleable and Thoma Glass.

The monthly interviews with Century Farm families, and the corresponding display of their family farm artifacts, continue to attract crowds. The interviews are videotaped on the first Friday of each month at 6 p.m. and are open to the public.

Thanks to funds raised by the Carnegie Museum Foundation Board, Otto Baum, Inc. completed the stabilization of the southwest corner of the museum building. The tuckpointing process was close to being finished when the winter weather set in; plans call for that project to be completed in Spring 2024. Spring will also see workers from Kelly Glass begin the project of replacing the old windows with more energy efficient but also historically accurate ones. Work may also begin on the restoration of the building's original roofline.

Changes in the museum's staff occurred in 2023. Lawrence Eyre, who became interim director after Mark Shafer's passing, completed an application for Fairfield's Evergreen Cemetery to be included in the National Park Service's National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, and in September the welcome news came that the application had been approved. Fairfield is now on the Network to Freedom map.

Lawrence also completed an application for the Carnegie Historical Museum staff to be able to participate in the Iowa Museum Association's STEPS program for 2024 to 2026. This two-year program will allow museum staff to update their skills in historical interpretation, stewardship of collections, and increasing public engagement.

When Lawrence stepped away from the directorship for personal reasons, Curator Jake Schmidt added the duties of director to his position. Charlotte Wright, who began as a volunteer in January 2023 and assisted in the research for the Network to Freedom application, joined the staff as official research assistant. Phoenix Haessler continues as an intern.

The monthly Lunch and Learn presentations, open only to museum volunteers and members of the Friends of the Museum group, are popular. Topics covered by speakers in 2023 included the history of tea-making, the history of the Fairfield police and fire departments, and the history of long-standing Fairfield business Whitney Monuments. If you want to attend these presentations, please join our Friends group or apply to be a volunteer.

For information about joining Friends of the Museum, about any of our programs or displays, about the gift shop, about holding a reunion or meeting at the museum, or about donating historical items related to Fairfield or Jefferson County history, please call the museum at 641-472-6343 or stop by and talk to Jake or Charlotte. We are open 12:00-4:00 Tuesday through Friday, 11:00-3:00 Saturday. On first Fridays (Art Walk), we are open 12:00-4:00 as usual, then open up again from 6:00 to 9:00. We are closed Sunday and Monday.

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