Let's Talk: Keeper of Lexington County's past

J.R. Fennell's love of local history led him to become Lexington County Museum director 2 1/2 years ago.

At 27, he is in charge of a 6.5-acre museum in the center of Lexington that attracts 20,000 visitors yearly.

Its focus is on local life in the 18th and 19th centuries through 1865. But a fundraiser Saturday for the museum spotlighted a newer period - Main Street in downtown Lexington from the 1940s-1960s, its heyday as the town center of commerce.

Fennell talked recently about the challenges of running the facility:

What do you see as the museum's niche?

Fennell: First, it should be the keeper of the county's history and tell the story of all groups of people that lived here during the time the museum interprets - white, black and Native American. This means not just focusing on the lives of a few rich people but explaining how the buildings and artifacts the museum has in its collections tell about life.

The museum could also be a focal point of the community and help give an identity to the area. Since so many new people are moving into the county, the museum could be a way to help integrate the newcomers and let them learn more about their new home.

What changes have occurred since you took charge?

Fennell: I changed the way the collections are managed. Employees must wear cotton gloves when handling artifacts. This protects the items from oils on the skin that will cause deterioration.

I started using catalog and condition report sheets that allow for much more discussion about the provenance and condition of an item. When artifacts are accessioned into the collection, I now use a way of marking the item that is reversible.

I have tried to have more public programming to make people in the Midlands aware of the museum and what it has to offer. An annual Halloween program features skits based on events in local history. My hope was to bring in people who normally wouldn't go to a museum, especially people with children looking for something family-friendly.

With the help of the museum Friends group, new exhibit cases were constructed for some artifacts. These cases are better suited for exhibition and are located in a building that is more environmentally stable.

What other changes would you like to accomplish?

Fennell: We need a full-time collections manager. The size of our collection has become so large. With the work that I do with advertising, helping fundraise, managing seven employees, maintaining 30 structures, cleaning, working on exhibits and more, it is hard to devote the attention that managing collections requires.

We need better storage for artifacts not on display. This would require shelving to get objects off the ground and moving some from the historic structures into our modern exhibit hall.

The big goal is to become accredited by the American Association of Museums. The changes made in collections and adding a full-time manager will help meet those standards.

What exhibits need to be added to the museum's collection?

Fennell: Two should be ready within two years that will greatly enhance the museum and its interpretation of county history:

- An exhibit on slavery. The museum doesn't have much interpretation on enslaved African-Americans, although our employees mention slavery on tours. Having one will help us interpret life for all citizens of Lexington County, both free and slave.

- An exhibit on what happened to the John Fox House after our interpretation ends in 1865. Adding that will show the house continued to serve an important purpose after the Civil War and allow visitors to better connect the house and those who lived in it to the present.

What more can the museum do to promote itself?

Fennell: We would get more exposure from billboards on interstates and ads in magazines, but that is cost-prohibitive. Hopefully, the museum can apply for grants and accommodations tax money to help us advertise more. The museum takes full advantage of free advertising such as The State's calendar of events. Our Web site (www.lex-co.com/museum) helps spread the word. I also speak to groups.

What role do you see local museums play in aiding historians?

Fennell: Often, institutions like ours are the repository for items that don't have national significance, yet are still very important and tell us much. For example, receipts and inventories from the 1850s in our collection probably would never be displayed in the Smithsonian but offer us a glimpse into the daily lives of men and women in Lexington County from that period. They help us understand how national trends affected people here and may even change historical opinion.

Local museums are the most important source for amateur and professional historians doing local history and genealogy. Besides providing access to collections, we point historians in the right directions and help ensure accuracy.