Dover City Council offers initial support for a Greater Dover Museum.
Dover City Council’s resolution promises a concerted effort to create a larger Greater Dover Museum, with the city willing to commit funding under a new non-profit: The Greater Dover Museum, Inc.
The current Greater Dover Museum is on South State Street, near other historic spots like Dover Shoppes and The Green, but museum staff say the location offers little space.
Museum Committee Member Thomas Smith says for the Greater Dover Museum, bigger is better.
“We have stories to tell. Lots of stories to tell. Exhibit space needs to be large enough to hold a fair amount of people- to walk around, to
look at [them], to be properly lit. And, that does take space.” he said.
The new Greater Dover Museum’s approach is outlined in the City’s resolution- a collaborative effort where the city shares resources and appoints members to serve as part of the museum’s initial board.
While the new entity will be funded in part by contributions from the city, Museum board member Tony DePrima says the new museum won’t be exclusively on the city’s dime.
“Being in the early stages, we haven’t put a number out there or set a budget. We’re still in the discovery part. Ultimately, like most small museums, we’ll be going to foundations, corporations, and governments- seeking funding for a future facility and residence.” he said.
The expansion of the museum is something the City has a vested interest in, according to Smith, a former member of the Kent County Tourism Board. A "bigger and better" museum will have a positive impact on tourism,
"And the truth of the matter is, there's quite a significant tourism business right now in our historic areas, because of the surrounding museums which are very good" he said. "We get people from all over the country, and in fact, all over the world, who come to Dover... and we want to bring more tourists to downtown"
He says that those tourists in particular will stay longer if there's another museum for them to visit, and adds that the eventual finished museum can act as an information center- directing tourist to local downtown businesses.
DePrima adds that there's plenty that folks are now learning about the history of the state of Delaware,
"But what you can't do, is you can't come here and learn about the
City of Dover and the role it played in the history of this country. So, we think we're going to add some more flavor to the experience for people visiting the area" he said.
The museum says it’s also looking for community members to serve on that initial board,
"We're going to need to start talking about buildings and real estate" said DePrima. "So people who understand [that] will be helpful. We're going to have to start talking about fundraising- so people who understand fundraising [are desired]. And, people who love our history, and perhaps have things that we don't even know about... there's a lot of different kinds of people out there that we're looking for"
Those interested are encouraged to contact the museum board via email: greaterdovermuseum@gmail.com
