The year in review

The year 2007 has been a time of growth and change at Old York. Pictured above is the new Remick Barn, which awaits only a few finishing touches before it opens to the public.
Courtesy photo

As the New Year approaches, our thoughts turn often to the future of the museum and its role in the community. It is also a time to reflect upon the accomplishments, challenges and losses of the past year and the impact each of these will have on the future. 

In many ways, 2007 was typical for what is a truly remarkable organization. The museum's dedicated staff and volunteers served over 3,500 elementary school children, inspiring the next generation of historians, writers, teachers, politicians, lawyers and community leaders. The Junior Docents program engaged an incredible group of teenagers who spent the summer working as museum educators, costumed interpreters and curators of an online folk art exhibit. Four outstanding graduate students were awarded a fellowship in museum research and practice and delved into the history and interpretation of the Emerson-Wilcox House. Others enjoyed participating in our lecture series, learning about historic preservation, watching a woodworking demonstration or conducting research in the museum's library and archives.

While typical in many ways, 2007 was undoubtedly a watershed year for Old York.

The adaptation of the 1834 Remick Barn to a new education and exhibition center required the museum to embark on a major capital campaign. With the help of a remarkable corps of volunteers, the museum has raised nearly $2,640,000 toward the $2.8 million goal. Hundreds of generous individuals, families, businesses and foundations within the community have come together to help the museum achieve this strategic goal. The new facility will provide Old York with the opportunity to expand our hands-on educational programs and truly engage our audience while showcasing the stories of our community audience. This marks an incredibly exciting, and sometimes frightening, time of growth and change for the museum.

During this time, however, the museum has also lost two longtime staff members. This summer, Community Relations Director Cheryl Farley accepted a new position with the Ogunquit Playhouse. More recently, Curator Tom Johnson accepted a position at Canterbury Shaker Village. Between them, Cheryl and Tom spent more than 32 years at Old York. The strength of the organization today is due in no small part to Tom's curatorial vision and Cheryl's ability to communicate that vision to our visitors and community. Their work over the past 17 years has established a strong foundation that will serve us well as the museum continues to grow and change.