About the Museum

From The Kearny Public Library and Its Town: A Pictoral History by Barbara Krasner:

"From its inception, the Kearny Library showcased local history, personal collections,  and the talents of local residents . . . In January 1974, Leonard Balducci reported on a study to Kearny's American Revolution Bicentennial (ARB) Committee regarding the establishment of a Kearny Museum. The study recommended a modest museum be set up in the unused area of the Kearny Library. George Sherman, local resident and architect, donated his services to the committee to conduct a cost analysis of necessary building modifications and repairs. 

Perhaps as a result of the country's bicentennial fervor, formal interest developed in the town to preserve local history. One local architect drew up the plans and specifications gratis. A Kearny Museum Committee formed and began arrangement of exhibits. A volunteer staff of thirty helped as well. By July of that year, the Town Council passed a $40,000 bond to fund the museum. Mayor Rowlands and General Chairman of the Kearny Bicentennial Committee Jessie Hipp filed an application for matching Federal funds. 

Even as early as 1974, a decision was made to display personal items from the Paris home of Mayor General Philip Kearny and his wife in the museum. Kearny's granddaughter, Virginia Livingston Hunt, donated china, glassware, and other belongings to the town . . . 

In July 1976, the American Revolution Bicentennial Committee signed a contract with builders Houseman and Caputo to renovate the area that would become the Kearny Museum. The United States Conference of Mayors in Washington selected the Kearny Museum and Kearny Memorial Park to be among the four hundred Bicentennial programs in the country to report to Congress and serve as "Lasting Reminders of the Bicentennial" . . . 

Finally on June 9, 1978, after five years of dedicated pursuit, the Kearny Museum, located on the mezzanine floor of the Kearny Library, opened. About one hundred people attended the dedication ceremonies . . . 

Volunteers to staff the museum were directed by Mrs. Alfred Greenhalgh and both she and Jessie Hipp responded to tour requests. Within its first month, the museum hosted more than seven hundred visitors."

Krasner, Barbara. The Kearny Public Library and Its Town: A Pictoral History. Virginia Beach: Donning, 2007. Print. Pages 74-93.