One of Eugene’s premier historical sites that teaches visitors about the Victorian Era has scored a sizable grant. An administrator with the Shelton McMurphey Johnson House says it will improve their educational outreach.
The total amount of the matching grant project is just under $50,000, with over half of that coming from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Leah Murray, executive director of the Shelton McMurphey Johnson House, told KLCC that the money will fund a two-year part-time position for an education coordinator.
“A large part of what they’ll be doing is outreach,” explained Murray. “Reaching out to the schools, to the teachers. We particularly target 3rd and 4th grade. That’s when local history’s being taught, in that time period.
"The big thing about us is the impact that the Victorian Era has on our modern life. There’s a lot of traditions, technology, and things that came out of that time period that really still impact us today.”
The new education coordinator, Hailey Schramm, starts this week. Programs will be done both at the Shelton McMurphey Johnson House, and off-site, including at schools and community centers. A “traveling trunk” program allows items and objects to be shared to audiences outside the house.
Murray added that the goal is to have enough funds coming in by the third year of the position to cover it in full, and extend it.
Summer’s out, fall’s in
With the weather cooling down and people going back to school, holiday programming for cultural centers, museums, and historical sites are underway.
Murray said their Victorian-era mansion will host a number of programs in the months ahead, including a Halloween-themed one about famed horror writer Edgar Allan Poe. And then they’ll have a partnership with Ballet Fantastique.
“They did “A Christmas Carol” as a movie a couple years ago and they actually used the house to film part of it,” said Murray. “And so we’re collaborating with them, to decorate the house with some of the costumes and props from that movie, just do a theme - decorate the trees with ‘A Christmas Carol’ in mind. And things like that.”
The Shelton McMurphey Johnson House was built in 1888, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s owned by the City of Eugene.
