The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal grant-making agency which supports our nation’s Libraries and Museums to build a nation of learners has awarded the Woodrow Wilson House, A National Trust Historic Site a Conservation Project Support Grant. The grant in the amount of $76,022 will be used to conduct an environmental and collections survey of the Woodrow Wilson House’s building and existing mechanical system to develop priorities for collections improvements and a strategy for mechanical upgrades. The Woodrow Wilson House is a national historic landmark and house that focuses on President Woodrow Wilson’s Washington Years (1913-1924). The total project cost will be $153,782 with a Wilson House cost share of $77,760. Grants from IMLS are very competitive and Wilson House was one of only 65 grantees awarded from 172 applications. Wilson House was also the only museum in the District of Columbia to receive a Conservation Project Support grant in the FY 2007 cycle.

Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Ph.D., Director of the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), announced the 65 museum recipients of the 2007 Conservation Project Support (CPS) grants totaling $4.9 million. The grant program, which began in 1984, helps museums identify conservation needs and priorities and perform activities to ensure the safekeeping of its collections. “The Conservation Project Support awards help museums develop comprehensive strategies for the care of their collections, safeguarding pieces of our nation’s story, now and for future generations,” Radice said. A 2005 report conducted by IMLS and Heritage Preservation found that immediate action is needed to prevent the loss of millions of irreplaceable artifacts held by archives, historical societies, libraries, museums, and scientific organizations.

The Woodrow Wilson House, a National Trust Historic Site and presidential museum housing a collection of over 8,000 nationally significant artifacts has an exemplary record of stewardship and care as evidenced through numerous studies and assessments as well as on-going operations improvements, conservation treatment of objects in the collection, and capital improvement projects such as our recent systematic building envelope improvements. With the mechanical systems nearing the end of their serviceable life, the Woodrow Wilson House is working to complete an 18-month comprehensive conservation planning project that will serve as a model for developing improved climate management strategies for historic house museums that balances the needs of the collection with historic building fabric and meets the programmatic needs of the organization. This project will bring together specialist conservators, historic building professionals and National Trust stakeholders to revisit all previous studies, assess collections conditions, evaluate environmental improvements resulting from the recently completed envelope improvements, develop priorities for conservation treatment and collections care within the context and limits of the historic property and develop a strategy for upgrading the mechanical equipment that will provide sustainable climate management for the site and its collections.

The Project and Participants

The IMLS Award will fund an 18-month project that is comprised of four interrelated parts: 1.) assessment of the collections’ environment, now that building envelope improvements recommended by Nathan Stolow in 1990 and preservation architect Belinda Reeder in 2000, have been completed; 2.) Assessment of the collections by specialist conservators to determine condition changes since the previous general assessment 20 years ago, prioritize future improvement projects, and to provide background for the long-term strategy for sustainable stewardship of the site; 3.) three meetings between the specialist team, WWH site staff and NTHP stakeholders, to identify and select a strategy for long-term improvements; 4.) generation of a comprehensive report from which the Wilson House and the National Trust for Historic Preservation that can develop the strategy for improvements.

The Project Manager for this project is Wendy Jessup. Ms. Jessup is a conservator with a specialization in preventive conservation who has been engaged by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in numerous projects involving the preservation of collections at their historic properties. She will be responsible for overall planning, project coordination and report coordination, as well as facilitation of the meetings. She will also collaborate with the museum climate engineer in the environmental monitoring program.

The participants will include specialist conservators Christine Smith (paper based works of art and documents), Gary Albright (photographs), Catherine Valentour (objects), Julia Brennan (textiles and garments), Arthur Page (paintings) and Alec Graham (Furniture). Each specialist conservator will write a report detailing their findings and making recommendations for on-going preservation of the collections. The building and environment team consisting of a preservation architect (Belinda Reeder), climate management engineer (Mark Nussbaum)) will also prepare assessments of building and systems conditions to provide background for subsequent discussions.

Once all assessments have been completed, the project team will meet to develop priorities for collections improvements and the strategy for mechanical upgrades. These will be integrated into a strategic stewardship plan for the Woodrow Wilson House and the National Trust that will provide guidance on future expenditures for conservation treatment and building improvements for the care and preservation of the collections and the historic building.

The guiding principles for the project include: • Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties • New Orleans Charter for the Joint Preservation of Historic Structures and Artifacts (APT/AIC) 1991 • Conservation in Context: Finding Balance for the Historic House Museum, a symposium presented in 1994 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation; • A commitment to the development of a sustainable, low-tech approach to climate management. • Collaborative working environment of bringing together conservators, object specialists, preservation architects, environmental engineers and interpretive specialists to address all of the issues relating to finding a balance to meet the needs of a historic building and authentic original collections.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.