Historical Commission Agenda and Packet 2016 08 03 JT

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Page 15 of 150 When the Museum opened in 1986, the Baha'is of Louisville, Colorado donated valuable rose bushes and established an official Baha'i Peace Garden to the south of the Tomeo House. To this day, it is maintained by members of the Baha'is of Louisville instead of by the City, and it garners compliments on its huge and fragrant blooms throughout the growing season. In about 2004, a graduate student created a landscape design for the campus that led to the City's establishment of the sidewalks, flower gardens, and lawn areas in 2006. In 2008, with the permission of the City, the Historical Commission accepted monetary donations from seven families, individuals, and businesses in return for small memorial plaques that it installed in the flower beds. V. Defining the Museum's Niche Traditional roles for museums include the acquisition and preservation of items in their collections and the preparation of exhibits for visitors to view. Implicit to this traditional role is that the museums are the authority with knowledge to convey to the public. Although many people seek out museums wherever they may travel, some people have an impression that museums can be sedate and somewhat dull places. However, small historical museums in active communities play a unique role due to the high level of community engagement that can be achieved. The Louisville Historical Museum has found its niche in this approach, and it routinely demonstrates a high level of community interaction and support. The essence of the work of the Museum is its ability to bring together people to share stories and information about Louisville. In practice, this often takes place around the table in the Jacoe Store. The Museum's ability to fulfill this role in the community is due to a number of factors, described below. Ultimately, credit for the success of the Museum goes to the Louisville community. People Love Learning About Louisville History and Culture To start with the most basic subject matter with which the Museum concerns itself, Louisville has a fascinating history by any measure. The idea of the American West holds a strong appeal for people worldwide, and Louisville offers true stories of coal mining, drama, and labor conflicts combined with a strong Italian heritage and cultural practices that people clearly want to know more about. With its historic downtown made up of both small wood -frame mining family houses and false front Western- style commercial buildings on Main and Front Streets, along with areas of preserved open space, Louisville offers a palpable sense of place. Present-day Louisville is often described as a family-oriented community, restaurant town, and a place with engaged citizens and high levels of volunteerism. These characteristics actually date back to the very early years of Louisville. Not only are people interested in Louisville's history, but they want to learn about how Louisville made the transition from being a poor coal mining town with unpaved streets and outhouses, even as late as the 1950s, to becoming a progressive city that today receives national attention for being one of the 7