Museum Moving  

Culver museum - visitor’s center will open on ground floor of First Farmers Bank
October 11, 2013
By Jeff Kenney
Plymouth Pilot/Culver Citizen

Those visiting the Center for Culver History, the museum and research center of the Antiquarian and Historical Society of Culver located on the lower level of the Culver Public Library, on Oct. 12 will find it closed.

Lest that should sound like bad news, one might liken the attitude of the members of the museum steering committee to that of someone about to trade in their current vehicle for a better model with greatly enhanced features.

In this case, that model will include the much-discussed addition of a Culver and Lake Maxinkuckee visitors' center to the facility, and the utilization of a historic downtown space with new opportunities to serve the community.

Culver's new visitor's center and museum will begin its move Oct. 12 to the southwest portion of the current First Farmers Bank in downtown Culver. For those familiar with the longtime State Exchange Bank building, built circa 1900, it's a propos that the specific space is the former office, conference room, and admin area of longtime bank president and local legend W.O. Osborn, who surely would have heartily embraced the operation's multi-faceted mission. As an interesting side-note, the space saw its first active use in some years last month, when a scene from the movie "Little Savages" made use of it as the office of Culver's (fictional) mayor.

According to museum committee chair George Duncan, visitors will enter the south (Jefferson Street) door of the bank, where the visitor's center and museum space will also include the south entrance lobby.

"We looked at a number of very good properties in the Culver area and settled on the First Farmers Bank building," Duncan explains. "We were able to negotiate a very favorable commercial agreement with the bank that we feel is fair to both parties.

"We believe the area, when complete, will offer a comfortable museum feel with the three different museum areas allowing the museum to stage different themes in each area. And the layout of the space provides a separate area for the visitor's center."

Duncan and the committee members feel the location is a particular asset, being in the downtown area of Main Street and facing what is arguably the most prominent and visually arresting part of downtown, with the town clock and the Antiquarian Society's own Heritage Park just across the street.

Duncan adds the committee is still working out the details of its agreement with the bank, but that Easterday Construction of Culver will make "modest renovations to make the area usable."

The plan, after closing Oct. 12, is to re-open as a Culver museum and visitors' center in mid-November of this year.

The committee announced its hopes of transitioning to a combination museum and visitor's center earlier this year, citing substantial overlap between the missions of both entities in telling the "story" of Culver to visitors and locals alike. During a number of conversations with local entities and municipal bodies, Duncan and other committee members described Culver as a community with a vibrant flow of curious visitors and tourists, but no entity dedicated to providing consolidated, pre-considered information to those who come here.

While committee members, working alongside a visitor's center committee with representatives of various facets of the community, will be working out details, the visitors' center is hoped to provide a calendar of major community events; information regarding recreation, education, dining, services, local businesses, and more; and to offer a venue for local non-profits to reach newcomers and better inform residents of their efforts.

Says committee member Tom Curtis: “Our museum, visitors' center, community bulletin board, events, and activities will provide a wealth of information regarding Culver’s past, present, and future to members of Culver’s communities as well as visitors to Culver.”

"Through my limited involvement in the process of finding a new home for the museum," adds fellow committee member Mark Damore Jr., "I was extremely impressed with the level of dedication to and affection for Culver. I firmly believe that our town is such a strong community that is only getting stronger and I look forward to seeing the new museum/visitor center develop and prosper."

"We continue to receive strong support from the community," notes Duncan. "To date we have received an award from the Marshall County Visitors Bureau and Convention Center of $5,000 to help cover the 2014 visitor's center operating budget, and a $15,000 award from the Marshall County Community Foundation to help cover start-up costs.

"Members of the community are also coming forward to support the move. John Houghton has made a generous pledge to be applied either to the startup costs or to a museum endowment to be funded for ongoing museum operating costs."

Duncan adds the committee is still working on funding the museum and visitors' center on an ongoing basis, but is close to having both funded for 2014, with details to follow in the near future.

The impending move also provides a positive opportunity to enhance and improve cataloging and record-keeping of artifacts and other items in the museum's collection.

With that in mind, volunteers are being sought to assist with collections care during the week of October 14 through 18. Moving team volunteers will primarily be cataloging, packaging and storing items from the museum's collection and no heavy lifting will be involved.

If you can pledge an hour or more in aid of Culver's heritage, call Gregory Waksmulski at 574 842 2941 , go to http:/culverahs .com/museum or email historyofculver@gmail.com for more information.