Donating to the Collection

In accepting donations to the History Center's permanent collection the items offered for donation should conform to our Mission Statement of “preserving, promoting and interpreting the diverse cultural heritage of Niagara County and the Erie Canal” and must meet the following criteria:

• Material from the period 1800-1970
• Material of local manufacture, invention or origin
• Material and archives produced by artists, inventors, craftspeople or residents of Niagara County
• Objects relating to the economic, social, religious, political or cultural development of Niagara County. While such objects do not have to have been manufactured in Niagara County, they should have a demonstrable relevance to the history and growth of the county between 1800-1970
• Material offered for donation must be free of any restrictions by the donor

The Niagara History Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, making any donation to the collection tax deductible.

Under the Federal Tax Reform Act of 1984, it is illegal for museums to appraise or otherwise place a monetary value on any items donated to the museum or accepted into the collection.

Exceptions to these criteria are made at the discretion of the curator. Call or email the curator to determine if the potential donation fits our needs. Fill out the donation form with the donor’s contact information, and information about the items to be donated. Sign the donation form and give it to the History Center with the items to be donated.

Items donated will be kept until reviewed by the Collections Committee. Once the Collections Committee has accepted items for inclusion into the collection, a deed of gift form will be sent out.

PLEASE NOTE: Items we do not accept

The items listed below will not be accepted by the Niagara History Center to be added to our collections:

• Furs
• Firearms and/or live ammunition
• Hazardous chemicals or anything toxic, radioactive, explosive, moldy, or infested with pests (insects)
• Anything that falls under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) which includes human remains, funerary objects, sacred or ceremonial objects, and items of cultural patrimony
• Stolen items
• Items of little or no historical value
• Items that are too fragile or have deteriorated to the point where conservation or preservation would present an undue burden on the History Center
• Duplicates of items that are already in the collection

In addition, due to space limitations, we currently do not accept large items which include (but are not limited to):

• Furs
• Furniture such as sofas, beds, cabinets, dining room sets
• Pianos or organs
• Farm implements
• Telephone directories

Bequests and monetary donations

Interested in naming the History Center in your will? Contact us regarding a bequest, whether it is a beloved artifact, or a monetary donation. We also accept monetary donations to help preserve and maintain our artifact and archival collections.