A fundraiser to help build Huntly’s new history museum is set to take place in the coming weeks, but more work needs to be done before the museum becomes a reality, organizers said.
The Huntley Historical Society will hold a fundraiser on February 13 through Lou Mulnati at 8515 Redtail Drive in Lakewood, said director Donna Britton. The fundraiser runs from 11am to 9pm, with Lou’s donating his 20% of specific orders to the organization.
To qualify, orderers must show a fundraising flyer, Britton said. It also does not include the purchase of alcohol.
“It’s the day before Valentine’s Day,” she said. “If you want to avoid the rush, you can go out the night before.”
The fundraiser is one of many fundraising the organization will hold to raise money for Huntly’s new history museum, Britton said.
According to Britton, the group’s biggest partner in the past has been Culver’s in Huntly, which has donated a portion of every order at various fundraising events from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. It also allowed society to set up displays in restaurants. Last time it was held in December.
The effort has been ongoing for several years, according to Jake Marino, co-president of the Huntley Historical Society. He said it’s “going slowly” as the organization tries to get the resources and support it needs to bring the museum to life.
“We haven’t given up and we haven’t lost hope,” Marino said. “There’s been some movement in the last few years.”
Britton said the association now has about $20,000 in funding. However, if you have insurance, fees, or other bills related to being a non-profit, the amount can vary. We also don’t yet know how much money society will need to make the museum a reality.
To help with this, the association has partnered with the Huntley Park District. The Huntley Park District leases the association an old farmhouse that the museum can go to, Britton said. The farmhouse was built in his 19th century and is marked by the McHenry County Historic Preservation Commission.
Because of its status, the district has limited ways to change buildings, Britton said.
Scott Crow, Executive Director of the Huntley Park District, will hire consultants to give both the Park District and the Historical Society an idea of what work will be required on the building and how much it will cost. Said it was necessary.
“We’re figuring out how to make this a working museum and how we’re going to fund it,” said Crowe.
The park district is in the process of reviewing its master plans, some of which will work out more details about what to do with the buildings, Crowe said. The Historical Society has also been part of that planning process, along with other consultants in recent months.
Beyond the actual work on the building, other projects include display setups, interior improvements, computer setups, and archival work.
The board would also like to apply for a grant, with a deadline set for the end of the year, Britton said. To do this, we get some help from the park district.
Britton said the association has not yet decided which exhibits will be included in the museum.
“Our collection is kept in several locations around town,” Britton said. “Not enough space.”
The importance of the museum was emphasized by both Britton and Marino, with Britton saying the community needed a place where people could visit to see local history.
Marino said it is also valuable from a historical society point of view. Until now, societies existed through websites, but had no physical place to present themselves.
outside of ” [online]not much to really show that we exist,” Marino said. There are groups that are interested in protecting Huntly, which is a specific place where we can learn.”
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