Jonesborough History Museum

Purpose: Sustaining Cultural Heritage This project occurs at a time of great opportunity in the life of the Jonesborough-Washington County History Museum. Having recently merged with two other heritage organizations, engaged in an intensive planning process for the new organization, and hired a new curator, the museum is prepared to regain the momentum of its strategic planning process. In this project, the museum will (1) assess, organize, and research its collections, including a large, recently added collection of important archival material, to provide a solid base for museum programming, and (2) complete the process of planning new and expanded programming, with emphasis on the design of new exhibits. This project is based on a careful blending of existing and new resources, including part-time personnel to complete an inventory of the collections, research the significance of selected items, and transfer the museum's paper records to a digital database. The museum will also use consultants with expertise in collections assessment and exhibit design. These activities, combined with ongoing strategic planning and staff contributions, will enable the museum to move to a new level of sustaining the cultural heritage of its community.