letter to the editor
Museum ‘isn’t going away’
Packing up ‘fragile artifacts monumental;’ 12- to 18-month renovation is expected
Many of you may have already heard that Town Hall will soon close for major interior renovations. When plans are finalized, we will send out information about what the renovation entails, how long the project will take and where Town Hall staff will be housed.
We are currently estimating the work will begin in early fall and require a closure of 12 to 18 months.
One of the many challenges of the renovation is the process of vacating the Farragut Museum. The task of packing up and storing fragile artifacts is monumental, especially when you consider that many of the Town’s artifacts aren’t on display. All of these items are being placed in climate-controlled storage to keep them safe and preserved.
Some of the items that have been on display did not belong to the Town, and it was deemed safest for those historic items to be returned to their owners. Fortunately, many of those have agreed to return the items to the museum after renovations are complete.
It’s important to me that everyone understands that the Farragut Museum isn’t going away. The Town has always taken great pride in the museum and recognizes its value to the community, and it will continue to tell the important stories of Historic Concord, the Battle of Campbell Station and the first admiral of the U.S. Navy, David Farragut, for whom our Town is named.
When renovations are complete, the museum will have several improvements, including an exterior public entrance that will allow for evening and weekend hours.
The Farragut Museum Advisory Committee is working with staff to finalize when the museum will temporarily close for renovations. Please follow Visit Farragut on social media or see visitfarragut.org and townoffarragut.org for updates.
While Town Hall is closed, museum staff and volunteers will continue to provide educational opportunities to the community. I invite anyone who wants to be involved to e-mail staff at museum@townoffarragut.org.
David Smoak, Town of Farragut administrator
