Clarksburg council awards $10,000 emergency grant to History Museum after AmeriCorps funding cut

The Clarksburg City Council approved a one‑time grant of $10,000 to the Clarksburg History Museum after museum staff described a sudden loss of AmeriCorps support and an ensuing community fundraising effort.

Beth Gaines, who addressed the council representing the museum, said an AmeriCorps program that helped the museum maintain regular hours and supported projects was cut April 30. Gaines told the council she has been managing the museum’s digital marketing, cataloging artifacts, producing a podcast about local oral histories and organizing tours and special events. “I will be continuing to support our historic tours,” she said during public comment.

Michael (no last name given), identified in the meeting as a museum volunteer/board member, told the council the museum has drawn visitors from across the country and internationally and described strong community fundraising: “We reached our goal of $3,250,” he said, and relayed individual donations and volunteer efforts. Council members spoke in support of the museum; the council then voted to award the museum a one‑time grant of $10,000.

Council members later reiterated their support for the museum during comments, saying the grant will help the museum remain open and continue educational programs. The council did not attach conditions to the grant in the meeting transcript; implementation and any reporting requirements were not read into the minutes at the time of the vote.