Swansboro Historical Association Progress Report on Heritage Center
- Febuary 10 SHA signed lease with the Town of Swansboro for the east side of the old Emmerton School for a Heritage Center Museum
- John Wood, Restoration Specialist at the Eastern NC Office of the Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources, became our primary consultant in February and is now a member of the Swansboro Heritage Center Museum Committee
- End of March, the Association and Town worked together to restore some historic areas in the building and the town got the police department debris finally cleaned out
- Also during March, One Harbor Church repairs sped along. Historical Association was eager to get in. Shared Space off the east end of the portico desired by the Church as a children’s classroom. SHA agrees to share this area for children’s programs.
- March 20-21, Ann Von Hoorn, Joan Gerdsen, and Amelia Dees-Killette attended the North Carolina Museum Council (NCMC) annual meeting in Winston-Salem gaining advice and networking with museum professionals in NC. Two people they were able to spend valuable time with were Lisa Whitman-Grice, Director of the Onslow County Museum and Emily Worrell Baker, Onslow County Museum Education Coordinator.
- Lisa is now a consultant for the Heritage Center and spent 3 hours Friday, May 6 in a special training session with the board of the SHA-Heritage Center.
- Emily Baker will be giving the program for the Historical Association on May 19 in the Community Room of the Swansboro Town Hall.
- Joan Gerdsen, President of the Association applied for a NCMC FOCoS grant and is working on a Lowe’s Community Partnership Grant
- Building Committee was formed made up of Ann Von Hoorn- BOD SHA Chair and VP- Larry Philpott, SHA Treasurer, and Joan Gerdsen
- Exhibit Committee was formed made up of Amelia Dees-Killette-Swansboro History Consultant, Bob Shuller-Swansboro History Consultant, Anne Shuller-Swansboro History Consultant, and Jack Dudley-Swansboro History Consultant
- In late March the Town of Swansboro removed partition walls in the former Bicentennial Room opening the room up for the first exhibit space for the Heritage Center
- The partitions were also removed from the back room adjacent to Webb Street to create a research and archival space
- Doors were removed that weren’t original to that part of the building and the lath was exposed over one doorway which will now be incorporated into a construction exhibit
- The Town replaced rotten wood in the center space of the Heritage Center and did moisture mitigation
- In late March Ann Von Hoorn acquired display pedestals and a variety of other decorative and exhibit construction items from Ray Voelpel owner of the former Tidewater Gallery.
- An Exhibit Consultation Meeting was held on April 21 for John Wood to see the Association’s collection and offer advice on what to include in the first exhibits. He met with the building committee that day as well and gave valuable restoration advice
- Planning for further floor restoration is underway
- John Wood and two interns from East Carolina University will lead a restoration of tongue and grove flooring workshop in the Heritage Center and they will be housed locally thanks to Joan Gerdsen
- May 7 Larry Philpott, Ann Von Horn, David Killette, and Amelia Dees-Killette removed flooring in entry way
- Volunteers from the Association, the community, and the Town of Swansboro will continue to participate in getting the building ready to be opened as The Swansboro Heritage Center
- An Emmerton School and Swansboro Timeline Exhibit are in the works. Anyone who thinks they might have appropriate artifacts or images to contribute, contact Amelia through this website
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