Preservation Month 2020: Our Bellamy Mansion Story
Preservation is all about the long haul. The buildings and sites that we work with will hopefully outlast us all, pandemic or not. It’s really tough to stay true to that big picture when things are changing by the day. We at Preservation NC are still hard at work, trying to get ongoing projects done while adjusting on a daily basis to face the challenges that are coming our way.
Our biggest single hit over the coming months will be the loss of revenue from the Bellamy Mansion Museum in Wilmington where its closure equates to more than $25,000 per month in lost admissions, gift shop purchases, special events, and rentals. Since volunteers abound at the museum, this revenue is offset by limited expenses.
DONATE HERE to offset what would have been a great spring at Bellamy Mansion Museum
Bellamy Mansion Museum: Preservation NC’s Premiere “Before and After” Success Story
The Bellamy Mansion in Wilmington, acquired by Preservation NC in 1993, is one of our best “before and after” preservation stories. Most folks have long forgotten that when PNC took ownership of the mansion, it had been vacant for nearly a half century and had sustained major fire damage in the early 1970s. Inside, it looked as bad as the worst of any of the run-down buildings that you see in our ads today. Now it’s picture perfect.
The Bellamy Mansion Museum has been a success beyond our wildest dreams. We were told in the early nineties that we would have a success if we could sustain 10,000 visitors a year. Thanks to our devoted volunteers, smart staff, and creative programming, the museum’s admissions now consistently exceed 25,000 visitors a year, bringing in nearly $200,000 in admissions alone. Click HERE (or the image to the left) to view a special “Before & After” video of the Bellamy Mansion Museum.
A Special Preservation Month Gift
Each May we ask our donors for special support in honor of National Preservation Month. This year we really need it more than ever. Your tax-deductible donation (with increased deductibility, thanks to the CARES Act) will support our small nonprofit staff as we work to keep the organization moving forward in this unprecedented time. The work we do is long-term, the buildings we save stand the test of time. We’ve worked hard to build Preservation NC into a national leader in the field. With your support, we’ll weather this storm and stand strong when it passes. As an added incentive, we have been given a generous challenge grant of $25,000 if we can match it with your donations in May and June! Every dollar you give will have twice the impact and support our loss of revenue from the Bellamy Mansion Museum closure this spring.
DONATE HERE to offset what would have been a great spring at Bellamy Mansion Museum
Virtually Tour Bellamy Mansion!
The Bellamy Mansion Museum thrives and sustains on revenue from admissions. Even though Bellamy is currently closed to the public, you can still virtually tour the site!
Begin by watching the 10-minute introductory video, then virtually tour through all five levels of the mansion. Finish up with the 30-minute video tour of the entire site, and you will have had a remotely comprehensive trip to the Bellamy! Click HERE to tour Bellamy Mansion Museum (or the image to the left).
Thank you for your continued support for Preservation North Carolina. We are enormously grateful for you. We hope to see you in person again soon!
DONATE HERE to offset what would have been a great spring at Bellamy Mansion Museum