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Portsmouth groups form nonprofit to create shared archives center; council hears update
Summary
Four Portsmouth cultural institutions and the city have formed a nonprofit to create a shared archival facility; staff and partners told the City Council the nonprofit incorporation is filed and a 501(c)(3) application will follow.
Portsmouth cultural groups told the City Council on Sept. 24 that they have formalized a joint nonprofit to build a shared archives facility and are moving toward fundraising and federal tax-exempt status.
The plan, presented by members of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Portsmouth History Archives and participating organizations, would consolidate collections now held separately by the Portsmouth Atheneum, Strawberry Bank Museum, Portsmouth Historical Society and the City of Portsmouth into a single center operated by a new nonprofit, Portsmouth Archive Center Inc., organizers said.
“The city of Portsmouth brings unique responsibilities to this project,” a presenter said, noting that some municipal records “are required by law to be preserved permanently” and that conservation assessments will guide how to meet statutory and privacy obligations. Tom Hardeman, keeper and executive director of the Portsmouth Atheneum, said the collaboration would be a model for other communities. “Watch and learn,” he said, speaking to colleagues and volunteers.
Organizers said the task force formed in 2022 to evaluate shared storage as a cost-saving approach, then broadened the idea to build a research and outreach resource. The presenters said federal grant opportunities for archives have declined, making private foundation and individual fundraising more important. The group has completed or is completing conservation assessments describing collection types, environmental needs and space requirements.
City legal staff worked with the task force to create a corporate structure, presenters said. The group has reserved the name Portsmouth Archive Center Inc. with the New Hampshire Secretary of State and will file for recognition as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit once state filings are finalized.
Councilors opened the meeting to public comment for the presentation; several institutional leaders described the project as a long-sought collaborative effort and emphasized research and public outreach benefits. No formal council action or funding request was made at the Sept. 24 meeting.
The presenters asked the council for continued support and said the task force will return with fundraising and implementation milestones as they pursue grant applications and private support.
