Jamesville Community Museum

The Jamesville Community Museum had its roots in two committees that existed in the year 1976. These groups organized Jamesville's bicentennial celebration and were responsible for the creation of the publication Water, Wheels and Stone which deals with the historical development of the community. Proceeds from the bicentennial activities were donated to the museum as were the proceeds from the original publication of the book.

An organizing committee met for nearly two years formulating the original concepts for the museum which was granted a provisional charter on June 23, 1978 by the New York State Board of Regents. A site for the museum was established in an unused portion of the Jamesville Elementary School approved for this use officially by the Jamesville-DeWitt School District Board of Education. This was the beginning of an ongoing and fruitful relationship between the museum and the school that still continues today. The museum opened to the public officially on May 4, 1980. Two exhibits on display at that time continue to be the backbone of the museum's collection.

They are popular, important educationally, and specific to the museum's mission. One is a 15-foot diorama depicting the Solvay Process and the raw materials for the process which come from this area (on "permanent loan" from the N. Y. State Museum in Albany), the other is a noteworthy collection of local and New York State minerals. As the local school district consolidated from four elementary schools to two, it became obvious that every bit of space would be needed.

The museum began to look for another site, and the collection was put in storage. In 1985, when St. Mark's Episcopal Church was forced to close its doors after 153 years of ministry in the community, the congregation and the Episcopal diocese offered the building to the museum for a consideration of one dollar. The church, built in 1878 after a fire leveled their 1831 structure on the site, is listed in Architecture Worth Saving in Central New York. And so, on December 8, 1985 the museum opened to the public in its new home with exhibits and a gala holiday open house.

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