By Becky Bush
Staff Writer
After 14 years and numerous exhibits, the Chapel Hill Museum is closing its doors to the public on July 11.
Museum officials say the Chapel Hill Town Council’s recent decision on a funding request fell short of what is needed to keep the museum open and the plan now is to find new homes for its numerous artifacts.
In April, museum supporters asked the town for $49,000 to fund repair and building maintenance costs. The museum is housed in a town-owned building on East Franklin Street. During budget discussions, the council agreed to give the museum $20,250 in monthly payments through this fall and then renegotiate the terms of the museum’s lease.
“A community that is as unique as this one, a true university town, has a tremendous history, and it should be remembered,†said Don Boulton, co-chair of the museum’s board of trustees. “Not all of it celebrated, but all of it remembered as one of the true university towns in the United States.â€
Boulton said museum officials also had wanted the Town Council to assume the museum as a town entity. He added that he and other members of the board of trustees had been under the impression that they were going to get all the money they’d requested.
Museum director Traci Davenport described the museum as the only resource in town that not only preserves the town’s history but also exhibits it.
“We’re very sad that the town has not found a way to value its own history enough to assist the only organization that could do that job,†Davenport said.
The funding woes have led to layoffs, she said.
“At the peak of the museum’s operation, there were three full-time people and three to four part-time people,†Davenport said. “We’ve already had to let staff go.â€
Davenport said she plans to find ways to continue the museum’s educational programs, including the Fire Safety and Puppet Musical, the Pottery Program, The Lost Colony and Meet Me on Franklin Street.
Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt said the town council was ready to help with maintenance costs on the building.
“We were still willing to provide for monthly payments,†Kleinschmidt added. “The council really believed that it was going to happen. I’m disappointed in that, but I don’t know what else to say.â€
Kleinschmidt said that he is saddened to see the museum closing because of the importance of preserving the town’s rich history.
“We are not a regular community. We are Chapel Hill. We are a special town. Our importance is not just what we think of it. We’re important for the entire state.â€