Museum of the Confederacy looks at new site

[Jamieva]

Considering moving to Lexington, VA

http://timesdispatch.com/servlet/Sat...=1149192815336

[hoosier]

Lexington's a very nice town and the MOC is a very nice museum. If the move happens, it will certainly be Lexington's gain and Richmond's loss.

I can't help but think, though, that if it happens, future generations will be asking the question, "Why in the world is the Museum of the Confederacy someplace other than in the capital city of the Confederacy?"

[Jamieva]

Hoosier

The CEO of the Museum was interviewed on the radio here in Richmond on Monday and he said part of the reason they are going to move is because the city has not responded to their requests for help.

If I recall the Museum ran a deficit of $800,000 last year, they asked the General Assembly for help, and the GA gave a whopping $50,000. They have no choice.

As my wife asked, without the museum there, that will probably mean less and less visitors to the White House which is next door to the existing museum.

[hoosier]

Those are some pretty significant financial figures, all right.

I can't say I would blame the museum leadership at all if conditions in Richmond don't improve for them.

I guess the question future generations might be asking is more along the lines of "Why didn't Richmond think of some way to keep the Museum of the Confederacy there?"

[ole]

Why would the museum run such a deficit? No visitors? Spending too much money? What's the story.
Ole

[larry_cockerham]

I've gained the impression that much of this deficit has been a combination of less than successful management coupled with the construction and changes going on in that congested part of the city. Should a move to Lexington occur, they would have more room, far easier access and would still need to address the part about the funding. Can a museum of priceless Cofederate heritage survive on a self-sustaining basis from tourist trade and contributions? Looks like a management challenge to me. A roof and some free rent perhaps in Lexington might help.

[gary]

Since 9/11, attendance to public parks and museums have declined. It's also in due part to the economy: less disposable capital. Couple this situation with the difficulty of finding the Museum of the Confederacy. The construction makes it more difficult each time I visit (once a year for this Californian - yuck, I admitted that I'm from the land o' fruits & nutz) but not impossible. To see whether it's the construction and encroachment of the hospital, the Museum should check its attendance figures against those of the Valentine Museum, Marshall House and other pay for entry institutions on Capitol Hill. If they suffer a corresponding drop, then it can't all be attributed to the hospital. If they have, then it's the economy and folks travelling less. None the less, dropping attendance means less ticket sales at the door, less gift/book shop sales and fewer members. To offset it, museums must draw more heavily on their members for donations, rich donors and in worse case (suicide), the res of their foundation (ducats they invest for steady income). The latter is suicide because that means their investment incomes decrease as their investment decrease. Another method of survival is to reduce the expenses by cutting programs, publications and employees (through attrition, discharge) and reducing operating hours.

Lexington is nice, but they should check with the attendance figures of the Jackson House and VMI Museum (which may still be closed for rennovations) and Lee's Tomb (at Washington & Lee College). Has the # of pennies at Traveller's grave increased or decreased? If the attendance figures at those places aren't strong, then going to Lexington could be a death blow to the museum. It may even be better going to Petersburg as land is much cheaper there (and it's so close to the battlefield) or Fredericksburg (close to four battlefields) area. Lexington is somewhat out of the way (several hours drive from Richmond) and is generally for the Jackson & Lee fans. It's a pretty town though and worth visiting when your in the Valley.

[larry_cockerham]

Gary, sounds like you agree the issue here is management, whether from a staff or overseer level. Public support must be had for this museum to survive and prosper in the future regardless of the location. Virginia shouldn't have to bear the financial burden alone, though I suspect the state could afford it. Alas prejudice might be rearing it's ugly head? Lots of politically correct, head screwed in backwards liberals and slaves still trying to free themselves live in the metro areas of Virginia. Advertising done correctly, public relations in a positve sense, and operating capital to reach the market for viewing these treasures must all be part of the solution. We all must contribute to the survival of this mission, otherwise the memory is lost. S.D. Lee would wreck havoc on us all. If our nation is no longer interested in preservation of our past, shame be on us.

[ole]

So, okay. Who owns the museum? The state? City? Independent charitable organization? To whom do the directors answer? Are they all suffering from the same recto-cranial inversion?

Have to go with Gary on this. Unless Lexington can promise the traffic, the museum has no business there. Petersburg sounds like a good option -- tagging onto the battlefield and all.

Larry makes a good point. Perhaps a Museum of the Confederacy is an idea whose time has gone.

Ole

[larry_cockerham]

Ole and Gary, First off I'd like to see the museum survive and thrive if there's still a demand. Our kid's future depend somewhat on an accurate understanding of the past. Combine it with a Uly Grant memorial if necessary. Too many lives contributed to this collection to let it rust and rot. Petersburg, Ole, is a fur piece off the main road and from town. (A lot of us don't count I-95, cause it leads north?) Richmond, Montgomery or the Smithsonian are probably the better choices. (Don't know if you've been to Montgomery lately or not, but it ranks right up there with Petersburg in terms of both tourist appeal and traffic. You could walk across the main road at the Waffle House without fear of being struck by a passing car.) Excellent question about exact ownership. That's the center of the issue.