RSCHP Fundraiser set for January 30th at Giggles in Saugus…
Story written by Victoria L Revere High School intern
The Revere History Museum is a part of the Revere Society for Cultural & Historical Preservation (RSCHP). On December 8, 2024 the Museum reopened after more than a year and a half of renovation. During the final days of the renovation I visited with Dr. Toby Pearlstein, the volunteer Museum Operations Director, to gain a better understanding of the Museum’s mission and what was needed for it to succeed.
The first thing I learned was the early history of RSCHP. RSCHP is “an organization dedicated to preserving the City of Revere’s rich history.” The non-profit organization was founded in 1994 by Revere citizens and it’s focus was to create more awareness and support for collecting, saving, and exhibiting the City’s heritage and culture from its earliest existence in the 17th century up to today. This same organization was responsible for saving and then restoring the abandoned Immaculate Conception rectory, turning it into the museum it is today. The Museum is now listed as a significant landmark. It is included in the “Historic and Archeological assets of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts” and is on the “National Register of Historic Places.” I had drove past what I thought was just an old yellow house on Beach Street multiple times throughout the years and never stopped to venture inside. Once I did, I began to see that the building is much more than just a museum. Raising revenue to support the Society’s and the Museum’s mission has been an ongoing effort. This is done in several ways. For example, they have started a number of projects and events including a City-wide annual trolley tour of historical sites, holiday socials, banners throughout Revere, an annual Bocce on the Beach tournament, and topical programs held at the Museum. As part of this effort, on January 30th RSCHP will have a fundraising event at the Giggles Comedy Club. There are also plans for future author talks, new exhibits, tours of the Museum by appointment, and more.
Becoming a member of the Museum is open to all, including those who live outside Revere. There are multiple categories of membership including individual, senior, families, institutions, and more. So how is this “old yellow house” more than just a museum? Since its restoration, it has become a place of community building where Revere’s residents are able to come together and save a historic building from demolition, and have continued to encourage donations of historical clothing, artifacts, documents and photographs and create a place of education that tells residents and visitors of the progress of the City and its people. Volunteers continue to provide help and support for the Museum throughout the year including during the renovation. During my tour, volunteers came in mostly to help with creating an inventory of all the Museum’s items and begin planning for the remounting of the exhibits that had been dismantled during the renovation. I can only imagine the impact that more volunteers would be able to make during its open season.
When the City realized they needed to invest in renovations to continue the upkeep of the historic structure of the Museum, School Committee member, Anthony Caggiano assisted in having the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical High School’s students do the work on the much needed electrical and heating/cooling upgrades necessary and receive class credits and practical experience. Dr. Pearlstein noted that the renovation would not have occurred without their participation and the City’s support and expressed her, and the volunteers, gratitude. The building still contains its original chandeliers and some lighting fixtures, wooden railings and trim in three floors and 14 exhibit spaces full of displays for visitors to view. There are two meeting rooms available for programs and for outside organizations to use. Educational presentations, and a gift shop which include ‘memorabilia and artwork’ are also available.
In order for the Museum to continue thriving, what they need is help from their community. The Museum has been able to maintain itself so far with donations given by members of the community and sponsors, as well as support from City departments such as the DPW and Office of Community Planning and Development. They currently struggle with having a consistent group of volunteers including being tour guides, helping with exhibition preparation, planning, and more. If the Museum can attract a significant number of members, volunteers, and sponsors they could, for example, upgrade exhibits with multilingual labeling, and technology.
One of the significant challenges the Museum faces currently is lack of a full-time employed Museum Operations Director with the necessary expertise and skill set. This would allow the Museum to be open more often, attract grant funding, attract interns, refresh the exhibits more often, and improve outreach to the community. Revere residents are being called to help by becoming members of the Society. Membership is a critical source of their revenue. Dr. Pearlstein also spoke about the need to include more culturally diverse exhibits. The Museum currently includes a small number of exhibits from the City’s post-1970 immigrant groups and wants to expand their collection to include more. To accomplish this requires that newer Revere residents be willing to share their stories through the Museum and work together as a community with RSCHP to collaborate about themselves and their part in the City’s history and development.
Dr. Pearlstein noted in our discussion that Revere “is and always has been a city of immigrants and it is part of our (RSCHP and the Museum’s) mission to represent all the people of Revere so that when someone comes to the Museum they can see something of themselves in the exhibits.” This is an ongoing effort and requires outreach on the Society’s part to new communities and older residents “to build trust in us so that new and old residents alike will be willing to donate materials and share their family’s stories to enrich the Museum for all.”
Overall, the Revere History Museum plays a vital role in preserving and showcasing the history of community building in the City. By coming together the community can ensure that the Museum remains a centerpiece of the City for generations to come.