Barry Dressel wrote:
>
> ----Subject: Re: Funding Rationale for Historic Houses
>
> >>>
> >> We are planning to restore our 1874 Victorian house museum and are
> looking for
> >> ammunition to convince the city which owns it and potential donors that
> it's a
> >> good investment of $1 million.  Any ideas for appropriate uses of a
> historic
> >> house museum that generate income or attendance would be helpful.
> >> Thank you.
> >> Ann Kiewel
>  I think, Ann, knowing Holland Michigan slightly, that your chances of
> justifying a $1 million expenditure on the basis of a return that is
> amortised over any reasonable period, is slim. Your operating costs alone
> will eat up any earned income. I don't mean to be discouraging, but I have
> seen too many museums lately get into trouble by building a model of revenue
> to justify a capital investment, only to find that the rationale is a
> promise they can't keep. Some of those museums are no more.  Be careful.
I agree with this comment completely.  You need to be able to "justify"
a historic house as a balanced combination of architectural or
historical significance, educational potential, tourist trade potential,
and community-use potential, not economic potential.  Of course, many
house museums do make some money with weddings and receptions, but to
try to build a case that a historic house will pay back a one million
dollar investment with earned income is unrealistic.
--
Gary N. Smith
President
Dallas County Heritage Society
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http://www.oldcitypark.org/