A donations jar sat at the entrance on a lace tablecloth. Water and cookies were served. A whiteboard scrawled with signatures greeted passersby from a window to announce the grand opening of the Tharp Dayton Heritage Museum, which celebrated its 10th anniversary on Thursday.
As the evening wore on, a crowd of partners, longtime residents and non-residents trickled into the exhibition room at 714 Sixth Ave.
Although spatially modest, the room is adorned in historical artifacts and memorabilia of all stripes: military uniforms from World War II, photographs depicting Dayton High School classes from the 1900s to the 1950s, metal tools that once belonged to a shoemaker, colorful police patches and faded documents, yellowed by time.
“[The collection] amazes me,” said John Neyer, one of the guests at the opening. “It’s the best thing in town.”
The museum had its start in that very same room, which once housed the real estate and insurance business of WWII veteran and local hero Charlie Tharp. In January 2013, when he decided to retire, Tharp donated the building and its contents to the city of Dayton, along with a collection of artifacts he had accumulated over a lifetime.
“He was kind of like the city historian,” said Tina Neyer, secretary to the museum’s board of directors. “People would just bring objects to him.”
In May 2013, a committee of seven started work on converting the office into an exhibition hall, according to the museum’s website. They also established an archive for the collection, which continues to grow as more item donations come in.
The museum accepts everything about the city, from family genealogies to historical records dating to the first half of the nineteenth century before the settlements of Jamestown and Brooklyn merged in 1867 into the Dayton of today.
While some donate physical artifacts to the museum, others volunteer their time. They clean, ensure the proper upkeeping of exhibits, greet visitors and share their stories.
Jane Hebel, a lifelong Dayton resident, is one such volunteer. Every two Saturdays for 10 years, she and other members of the museum’s crew came to the exhibition hall to entertain visitors. At the 10th anniversary celebration, she received a key to the city from Mayor Ben Baker for her dedication to the museum.
“I’m nervous, I love it,” Hebel said. “It’s very important.”
She worked alongside Elmer Perry, a museum board member, who passed away in December 2022. His wife, Angie, received the key to the city on his behalf.
“This is the second key to the city!” Angie said when Baker handed her the key. She suspected her husband might have been awarded the first key for his commitment to local education.
Elmer was an instrumental figure in organizing a program to prepare high school seniors for future career and family paths prior to graduation, Angie said. She also recalled that he would spend a whole afternoon on the last day of school each year grilling hot dogs and hamburgers for the students.
Angie herself has donated items to the Dayton Heritage Museum. Among the donations from her family were performing costumes worn by an uncle who worked as a professional clown.
As its extensive and growing collection requires cataloging, the museum will close for a few months following the 10th anniversary for collection management, according to Chairwoman of the Board of Directors Laura Moeller. Renovations will also take place for roof replacement, window repairs and interior cosmetic changes.
Neyer said the museum’s façade underwent renovation a few years ago to restore its original design, making it more aligned with the block’s period aesthetic.
Aside from city funding, the museum board is in the process of applying for tax-exempt designation as a historical society so that it can become eligible for grants and other types of funding.
What comes after will be a new chapter for the museum, Moeller said. Community outreach efforts, partnerships for historical markers in the city, oral history projects, educational programs are all under consideration. Whatever might change in the city in future years, the museum remains ambitious and optimistic.
“To the next 10 years,” Neyer cheered in her closing speech.