West End Museum facts for kids
The West End Museum (WEM) is a special place in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It's a neighborhood museum that collects, keeps safe, and shares the history and culture of the West End of Boston. It helps people learn about what life was like in this area long ago.
Contents
How the West End Museum Started
Early Ideas for the Museum
The idea for the West End Museum began in 1989. People who worked on the West Ender Newsletter and members of the West End Historical Association started planning it. They wanted a place to remember the West End's past.
Helping the Community: OWEHC
In 1991, a group called The Old West End Housing Corporation (OWEHC) was created. This group was a Community Development Corporation (CDC). Their main goal was to build affordable housing for people who used to live in the West End. Many families had to leave their homes in the 1950s because of something called Urban Renewal. This was a program where the government took their houses for new building projects.
Finding a Home for the Museum
The OWEHC helped build new affordable homes at West End Place. In 2002, they received a space for their offices. Part of the deal was that they also had to create a visitor center for the West End. This was a big step towards the museum.
The First Exhibit: The Last Tenement
In 2003, the Bostonian Society gave a special exhibit called The Last Tenement to the new space. This exhibit had been shown at the Old State House from 1992 to 1994. It told the story of the West End neighborhood and the challenges its residents faced. This exhibit became the first part of the permanent West End Museum.
Becoming an Official Museum
By 2010, members of the OWEHC and West End residents worked together. They formed a committee to make the West End Museum an official non-profit organization. This meant it could operate as a permanent museum for everyone to enjoy.
What You Can See at the Museum
Museum Spaces and Activities
The West End Museum has three main areas for exhibits and a special archive where historical items are kept. The museum often holds events like new art shows, movie nights, book signings with authors, and talks by special guests.
Permanent and Temporary Exhibits
The main exhibit, The Last Tenement, is always there. It covers about 1100 square feet (about 102 square meters). This exhibit was first designed in 1992 and moved to the museum in 2003.
There's also a larger space for temporary shows, about 1400 square feet (about 130 square meters). This area hosts three new shows each year. Past shows have included topics like The Middlesex Canal: Boston's First Big Dig and Leaving the River.
The Members' Gallery
Next to the museum offices is the Members' Gallery. This smaller space features six different temporary shows every year. Some past shows have displayed old photographs of the West End from the Bostonian Society's collection. Other exhibits have explored topics like The Boston Canal, which was an extension of the Middlesex Canal, and Twenty Five Years of the West Ender Newsletter.
