CUMBERLAND — The Wills Creek Museum at 28 Washington St. is closing its doors next month due to staffing changes combined with limited grant funding.
“This project is very near and dear to my heart,” said Barbara Crane, president of the Wills Creek Museum Board.
“Cumberland has such a rich, rich history, and an awful lot of that is pre-American Revolution, and that is not widely known.”
The museum contains a variety of artifacts, including panels that incorporate art, portraits and maps that tell the story of Cumberland’s history. Additionally, the museum has loans from other local museums, Crane said.
The decision to close comes after funding for museums and community-based projects has become scarce following cuts at the national level, limiting the money state and additional private grants have received.
The museum was additionally struggling with staffing changes, Crane said.
“We’re still making some plans about how we’re going to move forward,” Crane said. “There has been interest from some local heritage partners about borrowing some of the displays, and I think some of those things will end up in the church (Emmanuel Episcopal) as well.”
Some items on loan are expected to be returned to their lenders, Crane said.
“It’s not just the Wills Creek Museum — you could fill up a page with all the folks that get grants,” Crane said. “And everybody is struggling now because the environment is just so uncertain about grant money.”
The museum is anticipated to be open for Heritage Days Festival Sept. 13-14.
The museum is open for visits via appointment, but is planning to close sometime after the Heritage Days, Crane said.
“Heritage Days is important to the town and also to our campus because that is where the Wills Creek Muster is hosted,” Crane said. “So, it is important for us to keep that open for Heritage Days.”
Crane said she hopes the story of Cumberland prior to the American Revolution is picked up by other heritage tourism partners.
“And I think it is something that local folks should know about and take pride in,” Crane said. “I think it will at least in the short run leave a hole. I’m hoping that in the long run this story will be picked up by other heritage partners.”
Natalie Leslie can be reached 304-639-4403.