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Monrovia Historical Society Looking for New Members

Monrovia Historical Society President, Sandy Burud, said that the organization is seeking new members to continue building its online Monrovia historical photo and document collection, the Legacy Project, and to continue restoring the historic Anderson House as a museum of early Monrovia life. 

The Legacy Project (see it here) already has nearly 7,000 historic documents and images available for viewing and downloading, with many more that need to be added. Burud, who succeeds former City Historian Steve Baker as president of the Society, said, "The Legacy Project is a fantastic resource for researching old homes and businesses and learning more about the city’s early days. It is also the basis for SteveBakersMonrovia.com, an Historical Society-supported web app that displays Legacy Project images and facts on a map of Monrovia.

"Our other major project," she said, "is the Anderson House, one of Monrovia's earliest homes. Sadly, it has been closed for several years because it needed a lot of repair. But now the roof has been replaced, the collapsing plaster on the ceiling completely fixed, and the interior and exterior have been painted. It will open again to the public in early 2023.

"We are eager to show what a Victorian parlor, dining room, kitchen and bedrooms were like – this time with even more authentic period furnishings. We also want to show off some of the incredible items recently retrieved from Steve Baker’s private collections -- historic maps, the first phone directories, rare books, photos and ephemera.

"There are so many great things we can do now that we’re over the hump with major repairs.  We want to offer experiences with aspects of Victorian life, like letting kids discover how butter 'happens' by churning it themselves. And involving adults in helping us figure out how to preserve and share all of our new acquisitions.

"We need more people to be involved to accomplish these plans. So, I'd encourage Monrovians with an interest in the town's history to consider becoming a member of the Monrovia Historical Society. The annual membership fee is as low as $20. If you'd like to join us, please visit the membership page on our website, here."

- Brad Haugaard

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