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Grant Will Aid Westbrook Artifacts’ Protection

Archivists and historians insist on climate-controlled storage spaces for historic items because unchecked humid air and the mildew and molds it breeds can speed deterioration of papers and fabrics and warp woods. A Westbrook Foundation grant is set to ensure that the Westbrook Historical Society (WHS) doesn’t have to learn that lesson the hard way.

The WHS and its historical artifact collection is stored in the upstairs of the town-owned Memorial Hall on the Town Green in a space that is cooled and humidity removed in the summer months with window-mounted air conditioners. At the end of last summer, one of the room’s two air-conditioners started to fail. WHS President Cathy Doane began to worry whether a sudden failure of the space’s air conditioning units could threaten the society’s collection.

So Doane, knowing that replacement of the Memorial Hall’s window units wasn’t in the town budget, decided to search for another source of funds. That’s when she decided to apply to the Westbrook Foundation for a grant to replace the failing window units with a new, central air conditioning system for the space.

The lower level of Memorial Hall, used for many years by the Westbrook Drum Corps, already has an installed central air conditioning unit to remove humidity from the air and cool the room.

As early as July, the WHS space will have the same climate control capability. The Westbrook Foundation has agreed to award the town a $6,100 grant to install a central air conditioning unit to serve the upper level of Memorial Hall—and Doane is thrilled.

“The new air conditioning system will help us protect historical clothing we now store in plastic bags and ledgers from old Westbrook stores like Kirtlands, Clark’s Store, and The Old Store,” said Doane.

The collection also includes many other artifacts of Westbrook history, including farm implements and tools, barrel staves, and other items.

Finance Director Andrew Urban said that as soon as the Board of Finance acted to accept the Westbrook Foundation grant, set for June 17, the vendor would be cleared to move forward on installation of the new A/C system.