We all get solicitations from any number of non-Profits. Only you can decide where you want to place your support. I would like to explain where your donations to the Historical Society of the Town of Chester go.

I must tell you that every penny donated goes directly toward activities of the Society. Below is a list of just some of the work of the Society. First, we maintain a three-room museum on the second floor of the Town Municipal Center. This requires us to have a Curator who records all items donated to the museum and maintains the storeroom where items not displayed are kept. Our salaried Curator works one day a week. Volunteer Docents are present every Wednesday from 10AM -2PM to assist visitors to the museum.

Our major project is the Sumy Preservation Project. We have thousands of prints and negatives taken by Mr. Sumy from 1932 to 1970. Some are eighty years old. When we are attempting to preserve them for future generations. They tell the story of the Town of Chester for that period. It cost money to buy acid free sheets, boxes, and binders. As of now all the scanning and preserving is being done by volunteers. We would like to hire experts to do all the scanning and preserving. By using volunteers only, it will take decades to finish the work. Specific donations to the Sumy Preservation Fund will only be used for preservation purposes.

Our next major project is the identification of all buildings built in the hamlets of Pottersville and Chestertown before 1900. Once identifies we hope to obtain plaques showing the date of construction for each building. In 2024 the Society wants this to be part of the celebration of the 225th Anniversary of the founding of the Town of Chester. We will need to raise funds for the purchase of the plaques. Volunteers are doing all the research.

Once the plaques are in place the Society wants to create a walking/driving tour of the two hamlets that would point out these 100 plus year-old buildings. We will then want to obtain histories of all the properties with plaques. In addition, in the years following the Society will do a similar inventory of all properties outside the two hamlets.

In addition to the Sumy photo collection the Society is in possession of hundreds of photos donated to the museum. Some are family portraits, others are photos of events, buildings and assorted other views. These photos also should be digitized and cataloged for posterity. This will be another large and costly project.

Preservation sometimes requires repairs to items donated. The cost of restoration can be pricey.

Printing and mailing our quarterly Newsletter is also a big expense. Members receive the Newsletter either by email or regular mail.

Each spring through fall the Society sponsors a lecture series. This fall we co= sponsored with the Library an event featuring Paul Stillman as Benjamin Franklin. The 2023 schedule will be announced soon.

Our funds come from Membership Dues, sale of items online and at the museum, grants, and donations. If you feel that “Keeping the History of the Town of Chester Alive,” is important, please consider a donation to the Historical Society of the Town of Chester.