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Published on 06/02/1997 All articles from this issue

History House Education Center campaign kick-off this Thursday

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By Clyde Noel / Town Crier Staff Writer

Supporters of the Los Altos History House Museum are kicking off a campaign this Thursday to build a $1.65 million "Education Center" on the museum grounds.

The kick-off reception begins at 5:30 p.m. in the History House garden. From 6-7 p.m., an exhibit of paintings by Annie Kapp Fitz will be featured at the Los Altos Youth Center, 1 N. San Antonio Road. The public is invited free of charge to attend the reception.

At 6:15 p.m., Leo Chavez, chancellor of the Foothill De Anza College District, will speak on the positive impacts of an education center.

The project involves construction of a climate-controlled building designed to properly store archived materials such as old papers and photographs.

Steering Committee member Bob Grimm said the Education Center will be part of the community atmosphere.

"It's appreciating our roots and how we got here. Anything we can do to enhance this feeling is good," Grimm said.

Grimm and his wife, Marion, longtime History House supporters, have pledged $650,000 as matching funds. The Packard Foundation has pledged an additional $100,000 in matching funds. Approximately $200,000 in donations has already been made, according to Ginny Lear, co-chairwoman of the campaign's steering committee. That leaves $700,000 supporters need to raise from the general public.

Supporters said the need for an additional building at the History House Museum is obvious since currently, only a fraction of the museum's more than 5,000 artifacts and documents can be displayed.

The History House Museum, originally a private residence built at the turn of the century, showcases how a small orchardist family lived during the 1930s.

The new 8,200-square-foot Education Center will allow the museum to expand its display of the permanent collection, allow for expanded educational programs for school children, and provide a research location for written and photographic historical archives to the public.

Lear said supporters want to raise the necessary money in a year, or by May 1998.

All donors will be listed in a commemorative honor roll book to be located at the Education Center.

For more information or to pledge a donation to the Education Center, call 599-2255 or write Education Center at History House, 546 Orange Ave., Los Altos 94022.