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FW:Civil War Library & Museum of Philadelphia
Fumo Announces Plan To Keep Contents of Civil War Library and Museum In
Philadelphia
Feb. 2, 2002 -Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent J. Fumo announced Friday
afternoon that a plan has been devised to keep the document and artifact
collections of the Civil War Library & Museum of Philadelphia intact,
preserved and in the city, although not in the library's current location or
under control of the present board.
For background on the recent situation with the Library & Museum, see links
to CWi's previous coverage of the issue at the end of this story.
The following press release was sent from the senator's office to the media:
Sen. Vincent Fumo, Rep. James R. Roebuck and the Military Order of the Loyal
Legion of the United States (MOLLUS) have submitted to Philadelphia Orphans'
Court a ground breaking proposal to keep the historically significant
collection of the Civil War Library and Museum (CWLM) in Philadelphia, and to
ease the financial pressure that prevents the CWLM board from properly caring
for and displaying the artifacts and documents.
The plan was developed by a group of public and private institutions within
Pennsylvania. Fumo and Roebuck, both Philadelphia Democrats, and MOLLUS, an
organization of Union Officers and their descendants which founded the museum
in 1888, submitted it Wednesday to the Court and the CWLM board for approval.
Fumo, Roebuck and MOLLUS became actively involved last February in an effort
to prevent the priceless collection now housed in Philadelphia from being
transferred to a new museum planned for Richmond, Va. Last March, with their
support, the Pennsylvania Attorney General obtained a stay from the court
that prevented CWLM from moving any part of its collection outside the city.
"The plan that we have submitted to the court will, I believe, end the grave
threat to the existence of the collection," Fumo said. "It will save a
historical treasure that belongs to Philadelphia and in Philadelphia."
Fumo praised the work of the parties who created the stewardship proposal -
The Abraham Lincoln Foundation of the Union League of Philadelphia, the City
of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, The
Historical Society of Pennsylvania, The National Civil War Museum in
Harrisburg, and the Union League of Philadelphia - and said it refutes the
claims of current CWLM management that Philadelphia is not a Civil War town.
"The effort exerted by so many people to put this proposal together shows how
much they appreciate the role that Philadelphians played in the Civil War,
and how much they want to share that historical and cultural knowledge with
the general public," Fumo said.
"This proposal represents an important opportunity to develop a more publicly
accessible venue for the collection, as well as providing immediate care to
protect the integrity of these historically important artifacts," asserted
Roebuck. "I urge the Court and the CWLM to join us in supporting this
worthwhile effort."
If accepted by the Court and the CWLM board, the proposal would end the
litigation related to the future of the collection.
The CWLM, located at 18th and Pine Streets in Philadelphia, is a repository
of donated and loaned military artifacts and documents, most of which
belonged to Union officers from the city. It includes items from General
George Gordon Meade, commander of the Union forces at Gettysburg, and from
Presidents Rutherford B. Hayes and Ulysses S. Grant, both of whom were
northern generals. In establishing the CWLM, MOLLUS sought to remind future
generations of the sacrifice that Philadelphia veterans made in an effort to
preserve the Union.
In 1986, MOLLUS turned over operation of the museum to a non-profit board.
Since then, the CWLM has consistently been in financial difficulty, which
helped prompt the board's decision to transfer part of the collection out of
state. Fumo and Roebuck believe that the financial problems facing the board
have prevented it from caring for and displaying the collection in a
professional manner. They are also concerned that the collection is at risk
of degradation.
"It is particularly gratifying that the regional cultural community has
stepped forward to give such generous support - ranging from expert
consultation to financial contributions - to this proposal," said James
Bennett Straw, President of the Abraham Lincoln Foundation. "We must keep
this important part of our heritage where it belongs. Clearly our cultural
partners agree."
"As the number of sales of Civil War books suggest, no episode in American
history is more central to understanding who we are," said David
Moltke-Hansen, president of The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. "Another
reason for the Society to join in this effort to save the Civil War Library
and Museum is because of its commitment to the City's and region's history."
"The proposal that we are offering honors the original wishes and intentions
of the donors and serves the public trust by assuring that the collection
remains in Philadelphia, and that it is cared for in accordance with the
professional standards set forth by the American Association of Museums and
the Society of American Archivists," said Brent D. Glass executive director
of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
The ultimate goal of the plan is to establish two new facilities in
Philadelphia, one for the CWLM's books and archival records at the Union
League, and another facility for exhibition of artifacts.
To achieve that, the Stewardship Plan calls for the following steps:
* The Court will assign responsibility for oversight of the CWLM collections
to a Board of Stewards. As its first act, the Board of Stewards will
undertake a comprehensive inventory and condition assessment of the
collections by a team of qualified professionals.
* Once the inventory and condition assessment is completed, the
three-dimensional collection (artifacts) will be placed in a secured,
climate-controlled museum storage facility. The two-dimensional collection
(principally books and records) will be packed and moved to the Union
League's building, to be joined with the League's extensive Civil War
collection. Once CWLM's two-dimensional materials are in place, the Board of
Stewards will transfer its stewardship responsibility to the Lincoln
Foundation. The materials will thus become available to students and scholars
through the Union League's Library and Archives.
* By the spring of 2004, CWLM's two-dimensional collection and the Union
League collection will become even more broadly available through a new
Center for Civil War Studies located on the third floor of the League. The
Center will be open to those with an interest in Philadelphia's Civil War
history, and will enable expansion of the Lincoln Foundation's many Civil War
heritage activities currently offered to the public.
* At the same time, the Board of Stewards will develop a case statement and
capital campaign for exhibiting the CWLM's three-dimensional collection in
Philadelphia. An Advisory Board that will include qualified Philadelphia-area
institutions with sizable Civil War holdings will assist the Board of
Stewards in this initiative. The goal is to create an exhibition facility
that will assume continuing stewardship of the CWLM three-dimensional
collection in Philadelphia and display the extraordinary Civil War material
culture not only of CWLM, but also of other institutions throughout the
region, the Commonwealth, and the nation.
* Once the collections are inventoried, assessed and safely secured, the
Board of Stewards will follow up with a "due diligence" review of the other
assets of the CWLM, exclusive of the collections, and oversee disposition of
those assets, the proceeds from which, if any, will be used to create an
endowment dedicated to care of the collections in perpetuity.
* To assure public access to CWLM's three-dimensional collection during the
interim period while the Stewards develop the Philadelphia Civil War
Exhibition Center, stable items in CWLM's three-dimensional collection will
be available for temporary loan agreement to qualified institutions seeking
to exhibit them. The National Civil War Museum has expressed interest in
exhibiting these items in its Temporary Exhibition Hall.
The parties that developed the proposal envision that each of them and MOLLUS
will be represented on the Board of Stewards.
"As the founder of the CWLM and the historic caretaker of the collection,
MOLLUS is extremely gratified by the tremendous effort and commitment the
Stewardship Proposal represents," said Herbert K. Zearfoss of MOLLUS. "It is
difficult to imagine a better opportunity to enhance the collection and
secure its place in the future of our city and region."
"The organizations that created this plan possess the expertise, credibility
and commitment to carry this project through to completion. We feel confident
that the plan is in line with the intent of the donors and in the best
interest of the CWLM collections, the region, the commonwealth and the
public," said George E. Hicks, chief executive officer of the National Civil
War Museum in Harrisburg.
"The parties who devoted substantial time and effort in crafting this
proposal should be congratulated for this accomplishment," said Carol
Lawrence, Deputy City Representative, Art and Culture. "The two new
facilities will enhance Civil War scholarship in the region, and allow for a
broad new array of programs for students and adults to enrich their
understanding of Philadelphia's place in Civil War history."
Fumo, Roebuck, MOLLUS and the other parties expressed hope that the CWLM
board would accept the plan, so that work can begin immediately to preserve
and strengthen the collection. If the CWLM board declines, the case would
proceed in court.
There is also an articlde in last friday's Inquirer(2/1/02)
http://www.philly.com
Inquirer webpage
Local News page B9 Aiming to Keep it Here by
Stephen Salisbury
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