From large-scale capital work to major grant-funded initiatives, there is always a lot going on at HHT! Below are a few of the projects we are currently working on.
Historic Building Conservation
Restoration of Morris-Jumel Mansion
The goal of this $2.7 million project is to address areas of deterioration on the building’s exterior, complete a roof restoration, and provide universal access to the first floor of the museum with an ADA-compliant entry and restroom facilities. Learn more about this project by clicking here.
Restoration of Dyckman Farmhouse Museum
This $6.9 million project will expand the museum with a historically-inspired, two-story addition, providing more office space, ADA-compliant restrooms, and improved access to the first floor. It also aims to provide universal access to the surrounding park for outdoor programming. Learn more about this project by clicking here.
Grant-Funded Projects
Accessibility & Innovation Initiative
Thanks to a multi-year grant from the New York Community Trust, HHT is currently auditing physical and programmatic accessibility at our 23 partner house museums. While the project has seen delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we anticipate moving into the second phase of this project in 2022. This next phase will include the creation of innovative pilot programs to improve accessibility, which we hope will inspire other cultural institutions set within historic structures. Learn more about this project by clicking here.
Virtual Dutch Heritage Trail
With a grant from Dutch Culture USA, HHT has completed a virtual heritage trail, highlighting the fascinating Dutch history at our partner sites, some of which date to when New York was New Netherland. By connecting existing Dutch heritage in an engaging way, this virtual heritage trail encourages a deeper exploration of the history that ties us together. HHT hopes to use this work as a model to create additional thematic heritage trails, connecting the diverse yet overlapping stories of these sites across the city.
COVID-19 Emergency Response
Monthly Crisis Meetings
Since the earliest days of mandatory closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, HHT has been hosting regular virtual meetings with the directors of our partner organizations to provide more frequent status updates and to troubleshoot responses to our shared challenges.
Sourcing Funds
Early in the pandemic, HHT applied for many emergency relief funding opportunities to support operations. One example is the NYC Green Relief & Recovery program, which was secured and re-granted to 11 of our partner sites to support horticulture programs and the maintenance of their surrounding open spaces. Each house received approximately $3,600 for these projects, and HHT will manage reporting for the duration of the grant.
Reopening Our Partner Sites
Shortly before Governor Cuomo announced that museums in New York City were able to reopen, HHT worked with our partner sites to convene a task force that began preparations to reopen the sites with proper social distancing and safety measures in place. HHT was able to source cleaning supplies and Personal Protective Equipment through the City for our partner sites, and worked with members of the task force to draft formal reopening plans.