1890 House seeks funding to make museum more accessible

The 1890 House Museum, located at 37 Tompkins St., Cortland, NY

CORTLAND, N.Y. — The 1890 House Museum is looking to raise $3,500 by Oct. 1 for an enclosed, exterior wheelchair lift to make the Victorian era mansion handicap-accessible.

The museum's current lift is no longer code compliant, and without a functional lift, the museum is currently inaccessible to some members of the Cortland community.

The 1890 House Museum was recently awarded $3,500 in funding through a Challenge Grant from the Emerson Foundation; however, the museum has been challenged to raise another $3,500 by Oct. 1, which would be matched by the foundation.

"We've gotten feedback in the community that some people would love to access things in the museum, but right, now we are inaccessible to a significant amount of people with mobility issues," 1890 House Museum Executive Director Benjamin Sandberg said. "If you're older or had an injury to your legs, we have a lot of steps and it can be hard to get into the museum. This is really important, and we're excited to being so close to getting this project done."

The museum is hosting a tasting event on Fri., Sept. 28, from 7 - 10 p.m. All proceeds raised will go to support a new wheelchair lift. Food and beverages will be provided by the Finger Lakes Tasting Room, Dragonfyre Distillery, and Lively Run Dairy.

Donations are also being collected at BRU 64.

For more information, visit: http://the1890house.org/challengegrant/