Greetings, all! Last time we reported in, we told you all about the physical improvements we’ve made to your Anderson Valley History Museum and surrounding grounds. Those included fixing a roof where the rain was getting in, a new rest room, a new septic system, upgrades to the Rose Room that would allow us to rent out the room as an event space, and a lot more.
With all that behind us, and a few small projects still ongoing (like protecting our beautiful bell steeple from those pesky woodpeckers!), we’ve gotten active planning parties and events to help us pay for all that work and to show off the improvements. All in all, here’s what’s up:
Parties, events and celebrations!
We have three fun events coming up in the next few months. The first is our Annual Membership Meeting. This will take place on Sunday, July 8, in the Rose Room. Even though we call it a Membership Meeting, it’s open to one and all. It’s also free. This year our special feature will simply be an Open House to introduce the community to the upgraded Rose Room, which is now, as mentioned above, available for rent as a meeting/events facility. Come see what’s on offer, say high to your neighbors, and enjoy some snacks while you’re at it. By the way, at the business end of the gathering, we’ll be electing new Board members. If you’re interested in joining our happy group, please let us know.
On Sunday, August 12, we’ll go “off campus” for a Museum fundraiser, an afternoon of history and fun at the Wightman House on Anderson Valley Way. We’ll be celebrating (and touring) this beautiful house built and lived in by designer Henry Wightman in the 1890s. Former Wightman House owner John Scharffenberger will be on hand to speak about his time as steward of the house and property. Lunch will be served by Boont Berry Farm, with wines donated by Balo Vineyards and Boonville Road Wine, and beer donated by Anderson Valley Brewery. $60 for the afternoon (including lunch and drinks). $40 for AV Historical Society members. Call Sandra Nimmons at 895-9020 to reserve your tickets. Don’t wait, as space is limited! This event is made possible by the hospitality of hosts Yoriko Kishimoto and Lee Collins.
Finally, for now, we will be hosting a Little Red Schoolhouse Alumni Party/Fundraiser at the Museum on Saturday, September 15, the Saturday of this year’s Boonville Apple Fair. A $30 entry fee will get you lunch, lemonade and a chance to catch up with friends old and new. We’ve got this up on our Facebook page, so we’re expecting plenty of folks who are back in town for the fair to show up. This party is for people who attended class at the Little Red Schoolhouse, folks who wish they did, and their spouses, sweethearts, friends and kids. Please RSVP to sherihansen1@aol.com so we’ll know how much food we need!
New signage
You may have noticed new Museum signs as you approach the buildings from either direction on Highway 128. Now folks traveling through our Valley either to or from the coast will be alerted ahead of time that they’re approaching a History Museum. We’re hoping that, “Hey, there’s a museum coming up. Let’s stop!” will work out better than, “Hey, you just drove past a museum.” As an added inducement, we’re now also posting signs outside the Museum to highlight featured exhibits.
Reorganization and improvement of our exhibits
Thanks to Sheri Hanson and her hard working collaborators, we’ve reorganized some of our most popular exhibits. In the schoolhouse, we now have a Pomo Room dedicated to the display of our fascinating Pomo artifact collection, a Family Records area, offering access to family records and artifacts, and an expanded quilt and clothing display. In the Tuttle Building, we’ve gathered a vintage toy display, a medical artifacts display and a sewing display. Several of our other displays have been updated and rearranged, with each and every artifact carefully and lovingly cleaned. In the Rose Room, we have a new Boontling display, which includes the wonderful Boontling mural drawn by Jack June.
Be a docent!
We are still desperately in need of volunteer docents to keep the Museum open and active. All it takes to make a huge difference is one weekend afternoon per month. Please contact our fearless docent coordinator, Sandra Nimmons, at 895-9020. You know you want to!
All the best from your Anderson Valley Historical Society Board of Directors
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