Local leaders joined Fort Bend History Association board members and staff at the groundbreaking event for the new Fort Bend Museum: Keely Knipling with photo of major donor Billie Wendt, Roger Adamson, Debra Greenwood-Sharp, John Null, Claire Rogers, Tim Kaminski, Norma Petrosewicz, Cary Hess, Kay Danziger, Ruthanne Mefford, Scott Maddux, Fort Bend County Judge KP George and Rebecca Hafner with photo of first donor Mary Jane Kocurek.
A groundbreaking ceremony in front of the Fort Bend Museum’s original building was held on Thursday, November 19th, formally kicking off the construction phase of an ambitious $2 million renovation campaign.
The project, dubbed “History Rising,” has been in the planning and fundraising stage for the past two years. With Thursday’s groundbreaking, work is now underway to transform the museum’s enduring, but outdated, building.
“Our dream has long been to create a smarter, more efficient and creative use of space within the existing building framework,” said Claire Rogers, Executive Director of the Fort Bend History Association (FBHA). “When finished this spring, the outside of the building will match the look of the historic Moore Home next door, and the inside will feature a more modern exhibit space with the flexibility to also serve as an event venue during non-museum hours.”
At the groundbreaking event, a number of campaign supporters were on hand, representing a wide range of constituents from the community. This included museum employees, FBHA board members, county leaders, foundation sponsors and longtime area residents.
“We are forever grateful to all the residents, businesses and foundations who have supported us in making our dream for a better museum and a true community resource happen,” said Ana Alicia Acosta, site manager at the museum. “To be able to move forward with a positive project like this during a pandemic is very gratifying.”
Local architect Scott Maddux of M6Studios developed plans for the new building and is serving as project manager during the construction phase. Illinois-based Taylor Studios has been contracted to design the revitalized interior exhibit space that will allow the museum to tell an even broader range of history stories with more interactive visitor experiences.
To learn more, visit fortbendmuseum.org/historyrising.