Museum volunteers outline move, exhibits and outreach as commission reviews schedule

Les Waters, curator of the Columbia County Museum Association, told the Board of County Commissioners on April 30 that volunteers have been preparing exhibits and packing items as the museum plans a physical move from the courthouse.

"This is part of our exhibit for the maritime exhibit downstairs," Waters said, describing a grant-funded display that will run on a wall outside the auditorium. He said the museum received a $2,000 matching grant to support the maritime exhibit and related items such as the ship's rudder and wheel that are being fitted for display.

The museum group described logistical challenges in relocating heavy and bulky collection items. Waters said the rudder was moved through judge's chambers onto the portico and lowered by lift to a parking area. He urged careful planning to protect the county-owned collection and people who will do the physical moving.

The group also described changes to public access and exhibition plans. Waters said the museum had expected visitors to be able to use hallway exhibits during regular hours even when staff were not present; restricted courthouse access on some days may require the museum to open on different days or station a volunteer during commission meeting hours.

The volunteers told commissioners they plan to participate again in the county fair and will use that appearance to launch a barn-identification project to photograph and catalogue historic barns. Jennifer Schumaker described the effort as an identification and tourism-oriented project rather than a preservation program; the association will aim to collect locations and photographs and invite barn owners to participate.

Volunteers raised the DeMuro Award application: Brimink Construction is preparing a submission and the museum association has supplied historical photos and corrected dates. Waters said he will send finalized material to the applicant.

Commissioners and staff discussed the museum commission's obligations under county policy and the comp plan. A review of the county's language showed the museum commission must adopt an annual meeting schedule and meet at least semiannually. County staff and volunteers agreed the commission is currently out of compliance with that minimum and discussed assigning responsibility to the museum commission or a subcommittee for property-inventory follow-up and for deciding which historic sites should remain on the inventory.

Riley, a county staff member, and others advised that the board may delegate inventory-review authority to the museum commission but that recommended changes would ultimately return to the board for approval. The group also discussed whether grant funds or state preservation resources might be used to inventory properties and whether the State Historic Preservation Office could assist.

Volunteers asked for county help with packing, storage and reuse of cabinetry and other museum fixtures. Waters said some cabinets will be reused in the new museum space and that more planning is needed to coordinate packing and moving. He emphasized volunteers are limited in capacity to move heavy cabinets and artifacts and that the county must help plan for safe handling.

The presentation concluded with an offer for commissioners and staff to tour the museum's storage and research lab; volunteers said the space represented an improvement over prior storage arrangements. Commissioners thanked the volunteers and asked staff to follow up on the schedule for the museum commission and on practical planning for the move.