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Troy Michigan
"Preserving the Light for Future Generations"
Supporting the Troy Historic Village
Heritage Plan
The Troy Historical Society has embarked on a major effort, the Heritage Plan, to expand and improve the Troy Historic Village. Through the five projects of the Heritage Plan the Troy Historical Society will preserve the past for children and their families, Troy businesses and their employees, and visitors while providing a context for future generations. Due to economic conditions in Troy and Michigan, anticipated sources of funds have not materialized (yet) and progress on the Heritage Plan has slowed considerably. Currently the Society's main focus is on the management and operation of the Troy Historic Village after assuming control on July 1, 2011. However, the Society still plans to pursue the goals of the Heritage Plan and the eventual competion of all five projects.
1837 Niles-Barnard House
The goals of the Niles-Barnard House project included the purchase a lot west of the museum to expand the village and provide a location for the historic 1837 Niles-Barnard House, followed by an adaptive restoration of the structure. This house, donated on the condition that it be moved to the museum, was built in two parts, one-third prior to 1837, and two-thirds in 1837. It was built by one of Troy's founding pioneers, Johnson Niles, who named the community and spearheaded its early development. Norman Barnard purchased the house from the Niles descendents in 1941. In 1955, Troy Township leaders gathered with Township Supervisor Barnard in his home to develop a successful strategy for the township to incorporate as a home rule city. The Niles-Barnard House is considered the most historically significant structure in Troy. The lot was purchased with THS funds given to the City of Troy, and on October 20, 2011, the house was moved to the Historic Village. By September 2011 initial exterior reconstruction and repairs were almost complete. Interior restoration will begin at a future date when additional funding has been secured. While we wish to have the Niles-Barnard House open to the public as soon as we can, there is as yet no target date for public access.
Historic Barn / Visitor Center
The goals of the Historic Barn project included the purchase of a lot west of the museum to allow the relocation and restoration of a 19th century barn and the construction of a visitor center adjacent to the barn. The barn will be utilized to interpret the community's agricultural heritage and will serve as exhibit space for the museum's collection of farm implements and machinery. The visitor center will provide a safer and more accessable entrance to the Historic Village, a large multi-purpose room for programs and events, a village store, and offices for staff and volunteers. The lot was purchased with THS funds given to the City of Troy, and architectural plans have been prepared for locating and restoring a barn and for constructing a visitor center with an appearance that will complement the barn.
1927 Township Hall Adaptive Reuse
This project is the adaptation of the 1927 Troy Township Hall at the Village for principal use as an exhibit museum. New galleries will tell the story of Troy from its inception as a rural community of immigrant farmers and tradesmen from New York through its development into a dynamic and diverse "edge" city. The interpretation featured in permanent and rotating gallery exhibits will be continued and expanded through appropriate, non-intrusive signage in the Village's other structures and on the Village Green.
Maintenance Endowment Fund
This project will establish and fund a permanent endowment to assist the City of Troy with the maintenance of each of the historic buildings, Village Green grounds, and the archives located on the grounds of the Troy Historic Village.
Gateway to the Village Green
This project includes the development of a "Gateway to the Village Green" that will enhance the visual identity of the museum. It is proposed that the gateway will include the placement of a Detroit United Railway (DUR) car reminiscent of those cars that served the community from 1899 to 1931.
Unrestricted donations and pledges to the General Fund of the Society are used for Society operations, including the projects of the Heritage Plan.
Donations to the Troy Historical Society are tax deductible according to IRS guidelines. All donations should be made payable to the Troy Historical Society.
Click on this link: Gift/Pledge Form for a gift and pledge form that you can print and fill out.
The gift and pledge form is in PDF format. To view and print the form, you need either Adobe Acrobat Reader or the PDF viewer plug-in for your browser. Most computers already have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. If you need Adobe Acrobat Reader, download the free current version using this link:
