Museum Grant  

Antiquarian and Historical Society
Karst accepts grant from MCCF  

by Jeff Kenny Editor
Culver Citizen
18 Oct. 2007

Culver - Fred Karst and his fellow members of the Antiquarian and Historical Society of Culver (AHS) were pleasantly surprised to hear that the organization had been awarded a $40,000 grant by the Marshall County Community.

Karst was pleased that the grant aount is unsually high, as the group feels it is greatly needed and will be helpful as they preceed with plans to create a Culver-area history museum in the historic 1915 Carnegie community room at the Culver-Union Twp. Public Library on Main Street

Karst, addressing the MCCF and audience at the grants awards on Oct. 10., said ASH is "delighted to have this grant, and it comes at a very good time for us. We have a very ambitious project under way".

The amibitious project is nearing completion of its first phase. "Wer're just finishing up the renovation of the space to prepare it to be a suitable enviroment for a museum", said Karst, who was joined at the event by Antiquarian Society tresasurer Agnes Bramfeld. Karst is the vice president of the AHS.

"We've engaged the services of a professional museum designer to help us carry out our plarn. We hope that the museum will cover all aspects of the community's history, including the lake, the Academy, the town, and the rural areas surrounding the town".

"We hope all of you will come enjoy the museum when its completed", added Karst.

The AHS expects that the museum space, which was renovated by Easterday Construstion Company of Culver, will be ready to move the group's archives and other materials within a matter of weeks. The Antiquarian Society now has months of work ahead of it as the exhibits and other co,mponets specific to the museum must be planned and created. The group has already created a museum "preview" in the lower level lobby of the library, which includes multiple panels of historic photographs and text, as well as three-dimensional oobjects in display in cases.

"The museum will provide residents and their guests with a 'virtual reality' presentation of the sites and sounds, the people and events, that have made the Culver-Lake Maxinkuckee community one of the most prominent historic places in the country", noted Antiguarian President James Peterson. "The goal is to preserve this unique legacy for generations to com".