Monetary Donations
The Niagara History Center is a vital community asset and the catalyst for connecting Niagara County’s past, present and future. Your gift will help us preserve it for the generations to come. Thank you for your support!
Bequests
Interested in naming the History Center in your will? Contact us regarding a bequest, whether it is a beloved artifact, or a monetary donation: donate@niagarahistory.org
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.
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-present
- 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 from 1800-2000
- Material offered for donation must be free of any restrictions by the donor.
Exceptions to these criteria are made at the discretion of the curator.
Items we do not accept
- 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
- Large furniture such as sofas, beds, cabinets, dining room sets
- Pianos and organs
- Farm implements
- Telephone directories
Please contact us by phone or email before you send anything, so that we may determine if the items are already in our collection, and whether or not it will fit our needs. Please download, print, fill out and sign the donation form with the donor’s contact information, and information about the items to be donated. Give the form along with the items to be donated to the History Center.
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.
The Niagara History Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, making any donation to the collection tax deductible.
Niagara History Center
215 Niagara Street
Lockport, NY 14094
Terry C. Abrams, the Curator/Collections Manager
(716)-434-7433 | curator@niagarahistory.org