| Washington County Museum | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1956 |
| Location | Washington County, Oregon, United States |
| Type | private: history |
| Visitor figures | 1,666 (2008)[1] |
| Director | Sam Shogren[1] |
| Curator | Adam Mikos |
| Website | washingtoncountymuseum.org |
Washington County Museum is a history museum located in unincorporated Washington County, Oregon, United States at Portland Community College's Rock Creek Campus.[2] Opened in 1975, the museum is operated by the Washington County Historical Society with a mission of preserving the history of the area.[3] Exhibits include the original Washington County Jail built in 1853.
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In the 1930s, local historian Albert E. Tozier donated his collection of artifacts, books, maps, and other items to the county historical society.[4] Beginning in 1939, the artifacts were displayed at Hillsboro's Carnegie Library.[5] In 1956, the Washington County Historical Society was incorporated.[6]
In 1962, the society looked at using Shute Park as a possible home for their museum, which was not built at that time or at that location.[7] However, the society temporarily moved their collections to the park's pavilion that year.[5] Then in 1975 the county decided to start a formal history museum.[6] From 1975 to 1987, Washington County owned and operated the museum.[8] During that time the museum was in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon, at the Heidel Home.
In 1982 a new museum was built at the Portland Community College campus at Rock Creek, and it opened in January 1983.[6] Then in September 1987 the Washington County Historical Society took over operations at the museum.[6] In 2007, the museum began a $1.7 million expansion of the facility to more than double the size of the museum.[9] The museums annual fundraiser featured Oregon State Beavers basketball coach Craig Robinson as the master of ceremonies in 2009 and raised around $90,000 for the museum.[1][10]
The museum received 5,000 visitors annually at the old 5,000-square-foot (460 m2) facility.[11] The renovated building now attracts nearly 1,700 as of 2008, and has a membership of 314 as of October 2009.[1] Washington County Museum houses approximately 40,000 artifacts and receives another 500 pieces each year.[11] The museum operates a small store in the lobby selling books about local history.[12] There is also a research library with over 25,000 images, more than 1,400 maps, and over 500 books along with other historical records and newspapers.[13]
One exhibit at the museum is the original Washington County Jail built in 1853.[14] This structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places from 1986 until 2008.[15][16] Previously located at the county fairgrounds, the structure was rehabilitated and moved to the museum in 2004. The 10-foot (3.0 m) by 16-foot (4.9 m) jailhouse is was originally located inside the museum,[14] but was moved outside when the museum was expanded in 2007.[17]
Other artifacts in the collections range from everyday items such as sewing machines, to a wedding dress of a local prominent family.[18] The museum's other exhibits include This Kalapuya Land that focuses on the Native Americans of the area, Washington County in a Nutshell that features artifacts from throughout the county's history, and a changing exhibit along with visiting collections.[17] Visiting exhibits have included Oregon is Indian Country from the Oregon Historical Society, among others.[19] Also, the museum partners with Print Arts Northwest to convert the lobby into an art gallery each month.[1]
Formerly, the museum hosted an annual plowing event named the Draft Horse Plowing Exhibition to demonstrate farming before mechanized agriculture.[20] However, the event has moved to Champoeg State Park.[21] Washington County Museum also educates the local community on the history of the county including use of a mobile museum.[22]