Calendar of Events:
April 6, 2024
Business meeting
10 AM in the Westenfield Room
All interested are welcome to attend.
April 7, 2024
Open house
2:00 – 5:00 PM, last tour at 4:00 PM.
April 12, 2024
Presentation of the Ohio History Fund award
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Reception to follow in the Westenfield Room.
Dear Friends of the Niles
Historical Society,
As
you know, the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United
States is rapidly approaching. In addition to this important date,
the Niles First Ladies Gowns are approaching the 50th anniversary
of their creation.
In 1976, in order to honor the Bicentennial,
some of the ladies of Niles formed an organization to recreate
the First Ladies Gowns that were in the Smithsonian collection.
The gowns were all locally made and sewn after many painstaking
drawings, photos and visits were made to Washington DC in order
to ensure absolute accuracy.
After the gowns were made, they
were modeled and displayed in many venues around the area, and
the ladies even went back to Washington DC to model the dresses
there.
The
Niles Historical Society is incredibly fortunate to have been
given most of the First Ladies Gowns. In order to put this in
perspective, Niles is the only community in the Unites States
to have a life sized collection of these gowns, outside of the
Smithsonian National Museum. But as all things age and deteriorate,
the gowns have also, and as they approach their 50th year, the
Niles Historical Society is asking for your help.
We are asking you to sponsor a First
Ladies Gown. This would entail paying for the cleaning, mending
where necessary, and storage of the dresses. A one-time fee of
$100.00 will ensure your sponsorship of one of the dresses. When
the dress is displayed, as we hope they all will be between now
and 2026, your name and/or your family name will be prominently
displayed with the dress.
Please take some time to consider
this opportunity. If you are interested, please fill out the form
below, enclose it with your check and mail it to:
The Niles Historical Society
PO Box 368
Niles, Ohio 44446.
As we work together to preserve
the past for the future, we appreciate your generous support.
Sincerely,
Meredith Elliott
Niles Historical Society
I/we would like to sponsor
a First Ladies Gown.
Enclosed please find a $100.00 donation for the cleaning and preserving
of one of the gowns.
Name_____________________________________________
Address___________________________________________
Phone #___________________________________________
Since the Niles Historical Society
is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 34-1276513) and no
goods or services are provided for donations, your donation is
fully tax deductible.
For more information call:
Sandy at (330) 652–8329
or
Anna Marie at (330) 856–8274.
Please leave a message and we will contact you.
To
view an electronic file of this form, click here.
Please save/print and share this
form with any family or friends that may want to help preserve
the White House Ladies' gowns.
Create an email and attach the file
or print the form and share.
A studio portrait of Lucille
Bassett who portryed Lucretia Randolph Garfield
in her Inaugural Ball gown during the Bicentennial celebration
in 1976.
Update on the Ward-Thomas
property:
The Westenfield Room, the old carriage house, which serves as a
meeting space has been renovated and is now open again. The improvements
include: proper insulation, painting, flooring and temperature –
humidity control.
Advisory Committee sought:
It is necessary to form a committee to determine the direction
to take with the monies in the New Building Fund account that
was begun in 2011. The Society requires an improved space for
education, research and storage of the collection. At this time
there is not adequate space or temperature and humidity control
to accept any more physical donations.
There is a proposed rendition for
a facility that would be expensive to build and maintain. The
amount of money in this fund is not adequate to cover the expense
of this lofty plan. The Board of the Society seeks input from
members on how to best use the building fund monies to provide
an improved space.
I implore members to weigh in on
this discussion. Average attendance at meetings is approximately
ten members who should not be making this enormous decision for
an organization with over three hundred members.
Please contact Anna Marie Beagle at 330-719-5716 or ambgeb@aol.com
for further discussion.
Thank you, Anna Marie Beagle,
President.
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Tour
the Buildings and Garden
Ward-Thomas
House
1924
Green House
How to Schedule a Tour of the
Ward - Thomas Museum.
Sample piece of 19th
Century bedroom set
on the second floor of the Ward-Thomas Museum
With the price of gas going up and
people trying to find things to do close to home, may
we suggest, visiting your local historical home. It
is interesting how many people in Niles have never been
inside the McKinley Memorial Library building, let alone
our Ward-Thomas museum.
People travel all over the world looking
for interesting places to visit, and here in their own
home town, sits one of the most beautiful museums in
the country. The Ward-Thomas Museum exists because caring
people have volunteered to create it. It holds over
5,000 items in the 14 rooms and it takes over an hour
just to walk through. If you take your time, you could
spend hours and still not see everything.
I once asked a Niles man, who has traveled
the world, why he never visited our museum. He said,
“I guess because it will always be there.”
“No, it will not”, I answered him. If no
one visits and donates money to support it, the Ward-Thomas
Museum will fade away like everything else in town”.
Remember we are open for public tours
on the first Sunday of every month from 2-5 pm. However,
we are more than glad to open the doors just for you,
if you call ahead and schedule a tour time. Just E-Mail
Us or call the office, 330-544-2143
and leave your name and phone number. We will return
your email or call and schedule a tour.
Tours of the Ward-Thomas
Museum for groups will be scheduled as requested.
We have frequent requests for private tours
from those visiting the area, various organizations
and church groups.
Please call Sandy (330) 652-8329 or
Anna Marie (330) 719 -5716 to schedule a tour.
A
membership drive is currently being held.
The yearly membership
drive is underway with fees of $20 for individuals,
$30 for families, $50 for patron level, $100
for businesses and organizations and $500 for
life memberships. Memberships support the society's
programs and includes the bimonthly newsletter.
For more information
call:
Sandy at (330)
652–8329 or
Anna Marie at (330) 856–8274.
Please leave a message and we will contact you.
Newsletter:The
Society will gladly publish stories of the accomplishments
of current or former residents of Niles.
Contact: Anna Marie Beagle ambgeb@aol.com
Gift Ideas:
Society memberships may be obtained
for $20.00 an individual and $30.00 for a family. All are
welcome to join. Members receive the newsletter six times/year
and free admission to the Ward-Thomas Museum when open on
the first Sunday of the month.
Gifts with a Niles' History connection. Click
on link below:
Try one
of the many Niles Historical books.
Books vary in price.
Sample of book content
'A
Pictorial History of the Buildings of Niles Ohio'
Over
200 pages and 400 high resolution photographs
To
order your book call: Sandy at: 330.652.8329
Niles Historical Society Office at: 330.544.2143
or Email Us
Price:
$40.00 local pickup or $45.00 shipped
To save on shipping costs, all of the listed
books are available for purchase at any Ward-Thomas Museum
open house.
Shipping/Mailing costs are $5.00 for each book ordered.
Please make checks out to: Niles Historical
Society
Send your name, address and phone number, and check to cover
costs to:
Niles Historical Society
P. O. 368
Niles, Ohio 44446
Thank You
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