Middleburg Museum Looking for a New Home
by Sebastian Langenberg for Middleburg Life
The Middleburg Museum is in search of its forever home.
In December, 2014, Betsee Parker bought the former Middleburg house of the late Nancy and Howard Allen, longtime residents and founders of the Fun Shop, with the specific intent to donate it to the Middleburg Museum. After much consideration, the 12-member museum board determined that while it was a fabulous asset, it didn’t quite fit the intent of the museum.
With three stories and four bedrooms, board member Bridge Littleton described the building as “just too large for what the museum was looking to do.”
Soon after deciding to sell, the Masters of Foxhounds Association, currently located in Berryville, purchased the property. The MFHA bought it as a home-base office as well as a future museum and library.
Littleton was supportive of the sale because “it really was a win-win solution,” he said. The proceeds, matched with donations from private collections and the fundraising that the board has already accomplished, puts the museum in a proper position to take its next steps.
The Museum is now looking into where it will relocate, weighing all options from long-term rent, to buy and build, to leasing land and building. The board hasn’t made a final decision, but Littleton said they do “have an eye on a place that would be interesting to buy.”
The goal is to identify and purchase a new site in a matter of months. The ideal building would be 1,000 to 1,500 square feet, not expensive to maintain, and would be large enough to hold up to 25 people in one room for seminars. It also would have at least a half attic to house heating and air conditioning equipment.
“We absolutely want to outfit the museum with quality and temperature control to preserve the artifacts for a very long time,” Littleton said.
The first goal is to settle on a location, then find a director a few months before the building is finished so that he or she will be able to give input into the building’s design, as well. In addition to the full-time director, a part-time staff and volunteers will help run the day-to-day operations. Board members also are expected to donate time and energy.
“The credit [for creating the museum] really goes to Ura Lewis,” said Littleton. Lewis, a lifelong resident, conceived the idea of the museum a number of years ago and formed a 501(C)3 non-profit. Since then, she’s been tirelessly working to get the museum from concept to reality.
The museum will be open to the public and will preserve documents, photos,
and artifacts in different exhibits. As its charter states: “The Middleburg Museum Foundation was created for the purpose of recording, preserving and sharing with residents and visitors the rich history of Middleburg, from its founding to the present time and beyond. The Foundation strives to enhance the public’s knowledge of Middleburg’s important role in our nation’s history, from Levin Powell to John Mosby to the Kennedys and beyond.”
Plans also call for possible interactive and hi-tech exhibits and eventually publishing historical documents online for easy access. Items also will be on permanent loan from private homes in the surrounding areas.
The museum expects to be funded by continuing donations, fundraising and outside grants. A gift store on site should generate revenue as well. These items will reflect the history of the town and will exemplify Middleburg. There is some thought to selling prints, crafts and other items from local artists.
Littleton and the board also hope the project will bring additional business to the town.
“We definitely want to support the local economy as much as possible,” he said. “The board is very excited because the dream has been there a while and now will be finally realized. This was all possible by the great and generous donation of Betsee Parker.”