Federal Agency Slashes Hefty Funding to Hanford Mills Museum

By TERESA WINCHESTER
EAST MEREDITH

Upon further review, IMLS has determined that your grant is unfortunately no longer consistent with the agency’s priorities and no longer serves the interest of the United States and the IMLS Program.”

“IMLS” stands for the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Reading this statement in her inbox was Kajsa Harley, executive director of Hanford Mills Museum, located in East Meredith—in Delaware County, just over the Otsego County line.

When asked in an April 18 telephone interview if she knew what IMLS meant by this statement, Harley replied, “I don’t know what it means. Our museum tells an important story… talks about how unique it is, not in its history, but in that it is one of a handful of still existing operational mills. It represents thousands of other mills that no longer exist.”

At issue was a $238,475.00 federal grant IMLS had awarded HMM for two separate multi-year projects. One was to improve the management and care of the museum’s historic objects so as to ensure their long-term duration. The other was to create an interpretive master plan, with input from the community, to guide the museum’s activities through 2026.

HMM had already received, but not spent, $34,187.00 for the master plan. Loss of this sum translates into cancellation of a professional development workshop that was to have included other local museums, thus broadening the impact of the financial loss, Harley wrote in an April 12 media release.

None of HMM’s grant monies from IMLS had yet been spent, which is not the case for some other museums who have had their funds withdrawn, Harley said.

The announcement was signed by Keith Sonderling, acting IMLS director appointed by President Donald Trump in March. Accepting his appointment, Soderling stated, “I am committed to steering this organization in lockstep with this Administration to enhance efficiency and foster innovation. We will revitalize IMLS and restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our country’s core values, promote American exceptionalism, and cultivate love of country in future generations.”

A March 14 executive order issued by Trump, titled “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy,” listed the IMLS as one of seven entities whose “non-statutory components and functions… shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” It further directed that “such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law …”

The six other “entities” on the list include the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the United States Agency for Global Media, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in the Smithsonian Institution, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and the Minority Business Development Agency.

IMLS was established in 1996 under the presidency of Bill Clinton. Its enabling legislation held that “federal library and museum programs are far reaching, spanning cultural, educational, scientific, and information policy matters. Democracy demands wisdom and vision in its citizens.”

It further stated, “an important role of the federal government is to promote education and access to information for people of all backgrounds, wherever located. By supporting museums and libraries throughout the nation, IMLS enables these organizations to carry out their public service role of connecting the whole of society with the cultural, artistic, historical, natural, and scientific understandings that constitute our heritage.”

Harley’s media release stated that HMM “preserves an operational water-and-steam-powered sawmill and gristmill as well as a historic manufacturing, retail, and agricultural site. With a staff of only 5 full-time and a handful of part-time employees, HMM offers 3-4 special events, serves thousands of visitors and provides educational programs to area schools each year.”

The water mill at HMM has been operating since 1846 and the grist mill since 1869. HMM is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

Two of the museum’s more popular activities are symbiotic: practicing the once essential agricultural tradition of ice harvesting in January and, in July, celebrating National Dairy Month by churning ice cream chilled with the harvested ice.

At the museum conference, Harley heard “many stories of canceled federal funds.” Among the museums whose funds have been terminated are the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, The Sciencenter in Ithaca and the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst, Massachusetts.

“We are working to assess our options and we appreciate the support we’ve received from Facebook posts and phone calls. We intend to continue our important work,” said Harley, who holds a master’s degree in history and museum studies from SUNY Oneonta’s Cooperstown Graduate Program. Harley has worked at HMM since 2013 and has served as executive director for three years.

Hanford Mills Museum will open for the season on Thursday, May 15. For more information, visit www.hanfordmills.org.