A
“For Sale” sign won’t go up on the Morgan Hill Historical Museum
anytime soon since the City Council made clear its determination to
keep it functioning as a museum – but on a new site.
A “For Sale” sign won’t go up on the Morgan Hill Historical Museum anytime soon since the City Council made clear its determination to keep it functioning as a museum – but on a new site.
Council voted 5-0 Wednesday to work with the Morgan Hill Historical Society and city staff to find a way, within 60 days, to move the museum onto the Villa Mira Monte property at 17860 Monterey Road. It currently is located behind the library on West Main.
An option was to sell the building. The buyer would have to move it.
Councilman Mark Grzan said he had no choice but to protect the building and would help with fundraising if needed.
“This building has significant importance for the community,” Grzan said. “I lived in Sunnyvale where we let the Martin Murphy (Jr.) house burn down and lost a significant part of our past. We should take the opportunity to restore and preserve. I could not vote for any other option.”
The museum building, a 1911 traditional farmhouse built by John Acton and donated to the city by the Williams family, is in the way of the new library. Construction of the library is slated to begin in August. The city owns the building; the Historical Society owns the contents and operates the museum.
Traditional plans to locate the museum behind the old Morgan Hill House at Villa Mira Monte, clustering the two buildings, would allow both to be open for tours more frequently and would form a historic center for Morgan Hill. The property is already designated a city park. The Redevelopment Agency has reserved $350,000 for the project.
If the city and historical society can’t devise suitable arrangements in 60 days the matter will return to give the council a chance to help the society with fundraising and grant writing. Selling the building would be a last resort, the council decided.
Carol Holzgrafe covers City Hall for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at ch********@*************es.com or phoning (408) 779-4106 Ext. 201.
