Museum Village in Monroe, one of the mainstays of Orange County tourism, hopes to infuse some new life into the 19th-century settlement it replicates.
With a new, energetic general manager, Michael Sosler, the Museum”™s board of trustees hopes to reinvigorate the museum created by the founder of Orange & Rockland Utilities and draw more tourists as well as corporate partners. Grant money already in the pipeline, if matched, would help.
Museum Village had approached the county and asked it to help by taking over its operations but was declined. It has since taken on a mission to revive interest by hiring Sosler, who brings a wealth of talent to the position.
Museum Village trustees gave Cornelia Bush, the county”™s new historian, a tour of the village her uncle, Roscoe Smith, assembled, bringing old stores, along with their contents, to the site of his former farm. There, a ring of 19th century stores now tells of the shaping of the Hudson Valley and of life before the car.
The museum received a $72,000 grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services to launch a complete inventory of its vast collection, which ranges from apothecary jars, printers”™ tools, spinning wheels and a cornucopia of memorabilia from the days when horse reins reigned in the land.
The grant has a stipulation calling for matching funds totaling $105,000, in both money and in-kind services. The Museum has launched a fundraising appeal and is reaching out to the business community to help support the initiative.
Sosler hopes to inject new life into the museum, which is a favorite of schools and visited by more than 1 million children since it opened a half-century ago. Dwindling field trip dollars have seen visitors decline, so the new general manager and the board of trustees are challenged to find new ways to raise revenue.
“We”™re open to suggestions,” said Sosler. “We”™d like to see more events held here for the community and perhaps even attract some corporate events to the grounds. It”™s an amazing place to visit, and the history of Orange County is all here in this little community.”
Philip Liebman, the museum treasurer, sees Museum Village as a destination. “It”™s a great place and there”™s plenty of room for all kinds of functions,” he said. “We”™re going to help turn the museum”™s finances around because there is really nothing like this around. Colonial Williamsburg has done an excellent job of promoting itself and we intend to recreate the same kind of success here.”
