Carnegie Caretaker!

Level 1 - Donate $10 and receive a sticker

Level 2 - Donate $75 and receive a mug

Level 3 - Donate $100 and receive a tee-shirt

Level 4 - Donate $175 and receive a tote bag, book, and sticker

Level 5 - Donate $500 and receive a signed print

Donate $1,000 or more and receive one of everything!

Local artist Dollie Iberlin created and donated this dynamic watercolor for the museum to use as the image for our Phase three fundraising campaign. We cannot thank Dollie enough for her beautiful interpretation of our community’s beloved Carnegie building.

WE MADE IT TO PHASE THREE!
We are entering the final stretch as we continue to fundraise for the restoration of our historic Carnegie building. We made it to Phase Three, this is the final phase and our last BIG fundraising push. Thank you to everyone who has helped get us this far. We are almost there!

Constructed in 1909, the native sandstone and limestone blocks of the front entrance have been damaged by weather and water. This ongoing issue is causing cracking of the stone blocks, shifting between the stones and the concrete apron, water migration into the basement, and surface loss around the whole building. Help us preserve this beautiful and historic building by donating to the Carnegie Building fund.

What's it going to cost?

The museum operational budget is partially provided by the Johnson County Commissioners and the rest is brought in through museum store sales, grants, admissions, and donations. Holding around $350,000 annually, the yearly budget does not have the capacity to fund a large project such as this. With a historic preservationist lined up to do the work, the Carnegie building fund needs to reach $600,000 in order to complete all of the necessary repairs. However; instead of waiting even longer to acquire the full amount we intend to conduct fundraising and repair work in phases - tackling the highest priority pieces first.

Phase One included the front steps, south column, and stonework beneath that column as this area is suffering from the elements the most with water and ice continuously wearing away at the stones. Phase Two included the north-side of the building and Phase Three will be the west and south sides of the building.

How will this be accomplished?

A true community effort will see this through! We are quite optimistic because we know that the community of individuals who support the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum have and can do great things. The Johnson County Commissioners are securing funds to assist - and the museum has received over $60,000 during the summer of 2023 to get work started on Phase One. We will be continuing to fund-raise until the whole project (three phases, totaling about $600,000) is accomplished.

Got Questions?

We LOVE to share about the museum, the Carnegie Building, and everything that goes with. Drop us a line at director@jimgatchell.com with any questions. Be sure to check out our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram (links at top of page), and best yet--stop by the museum!