Laconia historical society seeks funds to repair exterior brickwork after $100,000 roof campaign

Tara Shore, president of the Laconia Historical and Museum Society, told the Laconia City Council the volunteer-run museum repaired its roof last year after a community campaign that "raised nearly $100,000" and opened the museum to the public in August 2025.

Shore said the society runs largely on volunteer labor and local partnerships, catalogues a large collection of photographs and artifacts, and has expanded public programs and internships. "We moved preservation into action through hands-on work," she said, adding that volunteers and student interns have supported cataloguing, digitization and research.

Shore asked the council to note two near-term priorities: (1) relocating the library from the upstairs space to the museum's first floor to improve public access and preservation conditions, and (2) launching a brick-repair campaign to address failing exterior masonry. "The project is estimated approximately at $20,000," she said, and added that the city’s collection is held in trust for the community.

She described the 2025 roof repair as a community-driven effort that protected thousands of artifacts and archives and credited municipal and state funding partners. Shore also said the society is pursuing tenants on the second floor to generate long-term revenue to support maintenance and preservation.

Councilors thanked Shore and volunteers for their work identifying photographs and for expanding access. No formal council action on funding was taken during the presentation; Shore invited councilors and the public to visit the museum on Saturdays and to consider supporting the upcoming brick-repair fundraising campaign.

The presentation is informational; any city support or grant request would require a future council action.