FY2024 Annual Report
Thank you for celebrating with us the Bicentennial Year of the
Abigail Hooper Trask House.
Annual Report Cover: Harbor Scene, Manchester, Mass.,
c. 1880s, artist unknown, oil on canvas. Depicts Manchester on eve of transforming from furniture mill town to summer resort; painting displayed in Summers by the Sea exhibit.
It has been a transformational
year for the
Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum.
Thank you for your support.
FY2024 Highlights
All permanent exhibition rooms were reinstalled to tell more stories of the town of Manchester-by-Sea and its citizens. Historically accurate paint colors were applied to key rooms.
Several significant paintings that badly needed conservation, including the Portrait of Masconomo by William H. Tappan, were restored.
The portico entrance once again graces the front of the Museum and the house built in 1823 by Abigail Hooper, a merchant and banker ahead of her time.
The project was funded thanks to a matching grant from the Community Preservation Act and funds from the Bicentennial Capital Campaign. The Capital Campaign -- which exceeded its $200,000 goal -- was launched last year to mark the bicentennial of Abigail's house.
At 137th Annual Meeting, held September 2023, members voted to change the Museum's name to Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum and adopt new By-Laws.
UV-blocking film and shades were applied to all windows, to protect important objects, textiles, and paintings.
In May, a new seasonal exhibit opened -- Summers by the Sea: Masconomo House Hotel & the Resort Era.
At the end of FY2024, Matthew Swindell was named the Museum's associate director.
Speaker Series, family events, open houses, and workshops generated record attendance.
Archives room redesign project began.
Maritime exhibit, one of the six permanent exhibition rooms reimagined and reinstalled.