The Tilghman Watermen’s Museum is one step closer to opening the doors to its new home in the Lee House. The Museum is in the process of restoring the building, one of the few remaining, distinctively Tilghman “W” houses, to create a landmark, state-of-the-art museum in a piece of Tilghman’s own history. Sullivan Building and Design, a Tilghman based construction company, along with Fluharty’s Electric, Terrapin Security and Gede Insulation is doing interior work, the third and final phase of the building’s restoration.
TWM has been rehabilitating the Lee House over the past three years. Phase one (2012) completed all the necessary exterior work including painting the house with historic colors; phase two (2013) focused on the necessary site improvements including two environmentally conscious rain gardens and four geothermal wells. Phase three (2014) will refit the interior to meet the requirements of a modern museum including geothermal heating and cooling and wiring for advanced telecommunications. The Museum plans to move from its current space in Tilghman’s former barber shop to its new home in the Spring of 2015. “To date all work has been paid for thanks to the generous support of the community and a generous start-up grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.” Reports Executive Director Hall Kellogg.
Last year TWM launched its five-year Homecoming Campaign to complete the Lee House’s renovations and expand its collections, programs, and educational outreach. Progress has been steady: funds have been raised from both individual gifts and foundation grants from the Mid Shore Community Foundation for the Lee House renovation; from Maryland Heritage Areas Authority for the Museum’s video project: and from Eastern Shore Heritage Inc. for photography. Additional funds still need to be raised to complete phase three renovations to ensure a 2015 opening.
To hear more about the Museum’s progress and the planned new programs, plan to stop by the Lee House Saturday, October 18th, during Tilghman Island Day. Museum volunteers will offer tours of the property and local watermen will swap “stories.” Experience firsthand what lies in store next year with the projected opening of the Lee House doors.
For more information, call Mary Kellogg, [email protected], 410-886-2930
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