Bring the Collection Home Capital Campaign

When we moved the museum to the city from SMC in 2012-13, we built a museum with most of its space dedicated to local history exhibits. SMC agreed to store the remainder of the collection in the storage room in the former museum, but we always knew the time would come when the college would want that space for other purposes– that time is coming in the fall of 2023.

To house the collection of 20,000 artifacts, we are planning to build an addition to the north side of the museum. The 2,000 square foot addition will be of pole-style construction with climate control features to care for the community’s priceless treasures.

Moving the collection on-site will be a challenge, but in the long run it will be good for the museum. Staff and volunteers will be able to better monitor and care for the collection; researchers will have better access to the collection; and the staff and volunteers will be able to rotate artifacts on and off exhibit and put on more temporary exhibits with objects from the collection (that has been a challenge logistically due to the off-site storage situation).

The City of Dowagiac and SMC have committed funds to the project, but we are going to need significant help from our community supporters. We have set a goal to raise $75,000 to complete the Collections Storage Addition to the museum– I hope you will support the effort!

To donate to the project, mail checks with the form below to: Dowagiac Area History Museum, 201 E. Division St., Dowagiac, MI 49047. You can also donate with credit card via the museum’s Square account.

Donors of $500 or more will be recognized on a Donor Wall in the museum with increments of:

$500 Bronze Level

$1,000 Silver Level

$2,500 Gold Level

$5,000 Platinum Level

$10,000 Diamond Level