At this holiday season, we are giving thanks to all of the wonderful people who have donated to our Society in support of the repairs needed for the Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society museum, which has stood at the intersection of Seventh and Elmer Streets for 109 years. We are hoping that their generosity will inspire others to remember us as a worthy cause because, after generations of benign neglect, the repository of Vineland’s past needs serious attention. The three-story red brick building was designed by noted Philadelphia architect George E. Savage and constructed by James D. Pasquale, a Vineland contractor who built many local public buildings and private homes. As many of you know, a leaking roof created problems inside the museum earlier this year. But we have raised sufficient funds to bring in the John Ganter Roofing Company, which is addressing the situation. But we haven't even started on the rest of the work, which includes repairing and painting the window and door frames, fixing cracked walls in the basement that let in water, and restoring the ceilings and walls that have suffered water damage. The basement windows need attention, as do the floors in the public exhibit area. The museum is considered to be the most important artifact in the Society’s collections, since it houses artwork, glassware, personal effects, furniture and other 19th century artifacts, including those related to Native American culture and the Civil War. However, as a private non-profit, the Society is not affiliated with the municipal government or any other historical organization and, as a result, has no annual funding from those sources. In addition to repairs to the museum, funding is needing to conserve artifacts such as the elegant oil painting of Dr. Mary J. Dunlap, the first woman to serve as director of the State School for Women located on Main Road. Competition for grants has grown fierce in recent years and the sponsoring agencies usually want the money spent on public programming, rather than preservation. Although the Society has maintained a small corps of dedicated members over the years, their contributions are simply not enough to support the work that is needed to properly maintain the museum and the collections. The trustees themselves have generously donated both time and money to maintain the museum but public support is now seen as vital. Donations to the Society are tax-deductible since it is a 501(C)3 non-profit. For further information, please contact the Society by calling 856-691-1111 or e-mailing vinelandhistory@gmail.com.