I am writing to you as a friend and supporter of the Westhampton Beach Historical Society. Yes, this is a donation request! You can stop here and throw this letter away, or you can listen to my plea.
The Westhampton Historical Society has spent the last four years renovating in stages the Foster-Meeker house, which we now call the Foster-Meeker Heritage Center. Some history:
· The building was original donated to the Historical society by Walter Goldstein and moved to its current site on Mill road at a cost of $30,000.
· Funds to demolish and then reconstruct the major part of the building – a total of $130,000 where provided by the generous bequest from the Estate of Ann Skovek.
· Our Adopt-a-Window campaign raised more than $50,000 to restore all the original windows in the building.
· The Gardiner Foundation provided $15,000 for the building of an accessibility ramp and the restoration of the original stone entrance to the building.
We are at a critical stage of the building project (Phase II), which is the reconstruction of the three-section “cooking” chimney. The chimney will be the cornerstone of our educational and outreach efforts. It is the main fireplace in the center of the building and will be used to heat the structure, for cooking demonstrations, bread baking, candle-making, and other fun and educational events. The estimated cost to replicate an authentic 1735 cooking chimney is $60,000.
Our long-term goal is to make this 1735 house a true gathering place for children and families in the surrounding communities. We are in the process of applying to the Robert L. Gardiner Foundation for another grant to support this phase of the project. They are very interested in this renovation, but there is one important caveat: at the time of application we must demonstrate to the foundation that we have willing contributors who have pledged matching funds to this effort.
Our application is due in April and we have between now and April 20 to secure a total of $30,000 to support this grant. To get us started, I have pledged $5,000 and I am asking you to join me. We are looking for minimum gifts of $2,500, all of which will be publicly acknowledged. If you are interested in a naming opportunity, I can speak with you about that as well.
I can answer any questions you may have about this important community campaign and would be happy to give you a walk-through of our work in progress. If you are convinced, as are those on the Board of the Society, that the completion of the Foster-Meeker Heritage Center would be a valuable contribution to our village, please make your donation now. https://whbhistorical.wpengine.com/donate/
Many thanks for your kind consideration of this request.
Bob Murray,
Trustee Westhampton Beach Historical Society