Improving Environmental Conditions for Historical Collections

FAIN: PF-50087-10

American Precision Museum, Inc. (Windsor, VT 05089-1312)
Ann Lawless (Project Director: December 2009 to July 2011)

A planning project to explore passive and mechanized methods for managing humidity levels in a National Landmark museum building that houses a collection of historic machine tools, documenting the history of precision manufacturing in the United States.

The American Precision Museum in Windsor, Vermont seeks to develop plans to improve environmental conditions that are adversely affecting collections in the Robbins & Lawrence Armory building, a National Historic Landmark. The building houses the museum and its unparalleled collection of industrial machinery along with other artifacts, archival, and library materials. This planning project would bring together a team of staff and four consultants: a conservator and a preservation architect working with a civil and a mechanical engineer. The team would study existing information about the building and collections, then explore on-site, draft architectural and engineering strategies, and convene again to review these ideas for consistency and compatibility. The plans would be finalized in November 2011 to a level sufficient to seek implementation funding. The consultants would also assist in developing proposals for implementation.