The Southern Lorain County Historical Society located in Wellington has been awarded an $18,000 matching grant through the Ohio History Connection’s History Fund. The grant will be put towards restoring one of three large Archibald Willard murals donated to the Spirit of ’76 Museum in 2017.
The Ohio History Connection considered more than 50 applications with requested amounts totaling more than $567,000. Because the Ohio History Fund is limited in the number of grants it can award based on the amount of donations it receives, the program had $90,000 to award this year.
“The trustees are so excited to be receiving this grant and can’t wait to expand the museum’s Willard collection by displaying one of the murals,” said Trustee Scott Markel. “Every little bit helps to keep the museum updated and filled with new exhibits, and we couldn’t be more grateful to the Ohio History Fund, and the taxpayers who donated to it.”
The Ohio History Fund, now in its seventh year, is a competitive matching grants program that is one of six “tax check-off” funds found on Ohio’s income tax forms. It is funded entirely through voluntary contributions made by Ohio taxpayers and is a way for Ohioans to support local history and preservation projects around the state.
Markel, along with Board President Tim Rolfe, attended the Statehood Day celebrations held at the Statehouse in Columbus on Feb. 27 for the announcement of grant recipients.
The Spirit of ’76 Museum is open to the public on weekends, April through October, but tours can be scheduled year-round. To find out more information, visit the museum’s website at www.thespiritof76museum.org or call 440-647-4367.
This project is made possible in part by the Ohio History Fund, a grant program of the Ohio History Connection. The Ohio History Fund is made possible by voluntary donations of state income tax refunds, sales of Ohio History “mastodon” license plates, and other donations. www.ohiohistory.org/historyfund
The Spirit of '76 Museum 