The Young Museum of Bellevue, IA is scheduled to reopen in 2019. Following collections work as well as plumbing and electrical upgrades, plans are to revise and reopen the 52-year-old house museum by mid-year.
Donated to Bellevue in 1959 by Bellevue businessman and community leader Joseph Young – also a founder of the Great River Road through Iowa – the museum is housed in Young’s Civil War era historic home. It had been closed by town administration in late 2014 when the museum’s trust fund was expended.
The Young family dates to 1858 in Bellevue. Its members left a wealth of historical artifacts from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, representing stories of America, Bellevue, and the Mississippi River region of Iowa.
An agreement with the Bellevue town council was finalized in late summer, naming Friends for Preservation of Bellevue Heritage (FPBH), a Bellevue nonprofit organization, as trustee of the Young museum. As a result, FPBH has the authority and responsibility to administer the museum. The Town of Bellevue retains ownership, as beneficiary of the trust. FPBH plans to maintain open communication with the town council.
Contributions are welcomed. They may be mailed to Friends for Preservation of Bellevue Heritage, 603 Market St., Bellevue, IA 52031 or left in care of Fidelity Bank, 300 N. Second St., Bellevue, IA 52031. FPBH is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All donations are tax-deductible and will be acknowledged. Questions may be addressed to BellevueHeritage@yahoo.com or (563) 258-3917.
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