2009 Highlights

2009 has been a very busy year for the Essex Shipbuilding Museum. We are very grateful to all who helped us to reach our goals. If 2009 is a harbinger of 2010, next year should be fantastic! All of this, of course, takes financial support.

If you have been considering an end-of-year tax-deductible contribution to support the Museum, but have not done so yet, we hope these highlights will remind you of what a worthy investment the Museum is and how hard we are working to make sure every dollar you give us counts. 

A year of successful events

Early in the year the Program Committee, ably co-chaired by Maria Burnham and Cindy Cameron, introduced a series of programs which ran monthly. Not only were they enjoyable and informative, but they ran without a hitch, and several were sell outs. The variety of these programs was tremendous - from a day-trip to Mystic Seaport to Love Letters of John and Abigail Adams to Rich Wilson Sailing Solo Around the World to a 17th & 18th Century Tavern Fare Bean Supper. Pictured is another successful Wine Tasting.

New orientation center and tours

A long and very wet spring hindered momentum on the Shipyard itself, but volunteers busily put in literally thousands of manhours inside.

Starting construction in January, in May we opened the new Orientation Center at 66 Main Street, offering visitors a warm and inviting entrance to the Essex Shipbuilding Museum. We took the opportunity of remodeling the Orientation Center to change the store and revitalize its inventory.

In June, the pilot for a new Self-Guided Tour was introduced and was well-received throughout the year. Lead Guide, Justin Demetri, continued research throughout the summer writing copy for new interpretive signage which was posted throughout, giving the visitor a more rewarding experience.

Throughout the summer and into the fall, we experienced a significant increase in walk-in visitation.

We welcomed new staff and programs

July heralded the arrival of Marcia Hubbard, our new Office Administrator, and Jeff Lane, our new Facilities staff member.

In September, we bid farewell to Dennis Corkery, who retired from his position of Education Coordinator and welcomed Barbara Johnson Low to that position. Barbara quickly set to work running engaging education programs for the many school groups which came to the Museum throughout the fall.

In addition to school programs, various public programs were offered, including a Canoe Building Course, a Digital Photography Course, a new public event - Salty Dog Day, and the Pirate's Birthday Party was reintroduced.

New members and officers on the Board of Directors

Throughout this time, the Board of Directors was reorganized and grew.

In January, Jenny Stephens was welcomed as a new member. At about the same time, the pressing success of Boston Boat Works required Mark Lindsay to step down as President, but he has remained as a director on the Board. Cynthia "Tia" Schlaikjer stepped up to take on the Presidency; Les Moore temporarily filled Tia's position as Treasurer until Sarah Willwerth-Dyer joined the Board and assumed the role of Treasurer. Throughout the summer and fall, the staff and Board of Directors worked on improving the Museum's infrastructure, setting up new programs, working on a strategic plan for 2010, and putting policies and procedures in place to better manage the Museum's operations.

New website launched

In early December, a new Essex Shipbuilding Museum website was launched (www.essexshipbuildingmuseum.org ), replacing the original ESM website that was so ably designed by Museum co-founder Jim Witham and so well hosted by Glenn Pike of www.pikefishhosting.com. The new site is easier to maintain and allows us to offer e-commerce for membership renewals, ticket sales, and charitable contributions.

Year-end donation

If you have not yet made your tax deductible year-end donation, please consider doing so. You may make your donation through our new secure wesite by clicking here.

Or, if you prefer, you may send a check. Please make it payable to: Essex Shipbuilding Museum and, mail it to:

Essex Shipbuilding Museum, PO Box 277,  Essex, MA 01929 

We are looking forward to 2010's events and hope that you will join us.