Barnes Museum Receives Grant for Conservatory Preservation

The facade of the Barnes Museum conservatory. PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTO

PRESS RELEASE - The Barnes Museum is pleased to announce it has received a $6,000 grant from the KAWFY Memorial Fund at Main Street Community Foundation to support the restoration and preservation of historic exterior wood elements adjacent to the museum’s conservatory.

The project will address deterioration affecting the conservatory windows and surrounding exterior woodwork, helping to protect one of the museum’s most significant spaces. The conservatory houses the Barnes family’s historic collection of early American pressed glass goblets, an important artifact collection that reflects the family’s legacy and the region’s history.

“We are so grateful to the Main Street Community Foundation for its support of this project to preserve the Goblet Room,” said Christina Volpe, curator of the Barnes Museum. "The conservatory is home to a remarkable collection of early American pressed glass goblets, and maintaining the room's structure is so important in protecting this large collection and will ensure visitors can continue to enjoy them for generations to come.”

The Barnes Museum, operated by the Town of Southington, preserves and interprets the history of the Barnes family and the community through its collections, exhibitions, and educational programs. The Barnes Museum, located at 85 North Main St. in Southington, is open to the public 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and by appointment.

For more information about the Barnes Museum, visit the Barnes Museum website at https://www.thebarnesmuseum.org/ or contact the museum at (860) 628-5426.