The Dayton Heritage Museum is asking for the community's support as the museum moves forward with its reopening after closing last year for major repairs.
Museum board members Tina Neyer and Laura Moeller provided an update on the museum's renovations at Tuesday's Dayton City Council meeting.
“We just want to communicate where we are with the museum, what our goals are and how things are developing,” said Moeller. “As many of you know, the museum celebrated its 10th anniversary in October 2023. However, it was decided at that time that there were a number of repairs that were delayed and needed to be addressed, so we felt it was best that the museum actually close temporarily so that these repairs could be made.”
The museum has new windows, roof repairs, new floors and a new coat of paint, she said. During this time, museum volunteers moved the collection from the front to the back of the building and spent many hours sorting and cataloging the materials.
Since new technologies are also available, the plan is to start digitizing the collection. Digitization will make historical and genealogical records more accessible and accessible to a wider audience, Moeller added.
“The main goal is that we can actually reopen the museum this year and it will be a welcoming place,” Moeller said. “And we have a lot of ideas about how we can actually redesign our showroom to make it a nice place for people to be.”
Telling the Dayton story
Neyer spoke about the museum's importance to the community and beyond. She talked about the beginnings and how she got there.
“Sometimes it’s enough for someone to invite you to volunteer,” said Neyer. That's how I got connected to the museum in October 2012. Then City Attorney Jack Fisher asked me if I would be interested in working with Charlie Tharp and a small group of volunteers to sift through the vast collection of documents, materials, etc. artifacts that Charlie had housed in his real estate and insurance business.
For the next year, Neyer said, the group met on Thursdays and Saturdays “to uncover the rich history of this small town at the bend of the Ohio.”
“The story of Dayton developed in a way that I had never known before,” Neyer said. “We discovered so many different things that are part of the history, the rich history of our city while working in this space, and as soon as the museum officially opened, people started looking in and bringing things to us.”
She told stories of Dayton's past, including its beginnings as two cities, Jamestown and Brooklyn; the early Germans who settled here; later years with beaches and amusement parks as well as some of Dayton's colorful residents.
“Countless people have walked these streets, whether famous or ordinary, and like Charlie Tharp, those of us who have had the privilege of calling Dayton home feel a sense of pride as we walk through the doors of the museum go because we “I really have a whole collection,” Neyer said. “It’s just a matter of making sure we preserve it.”
Looking into the future
Neyer and Moeller urged the community to support and visit the museum once it opens. The board has formed a nonprofit organization, the Dayton Heritage Museum Society, to give them the opportunity to apply for grants for projects — and they have some ideas.
“We would like to do a historical tour of the city,” said Moeller. “We would also like to look at some historical markers and even host some events that focus on oral histories. I know this has happened before and I would like to experience it again.”
She concluded with an invitation to get involved.
“We need help in this new, very exciting phase of our board,” said Moeller. “We have two spots available on our museum board and would welcome the help of other volunteers to help us reopen. We have beautiful new boxes for our artifacts and we need help going through things and getting them there.”
No date has yet been set for the reopening. To learn more or to volunteer, contact the museum through the city at 859-491-1600 or fill out the contact form on the Dayton Heritage Museum website.