History Lives Here
The History Lives Here Campaign is about people, place, and preservation—the diverse stories that shape our town, and the community that carries them forward.
Meeting the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society’s campaign goal of $4 million will ensure that the Society thrives for generations to come—preserving historic properties, expanding educational outreach, and hosting the beloved programs that bring Duxbury’s history to life for all generations to enjoy.
Through History Lives Here, we invest in a future where history lives and breathes. This campaign is more than a fundraising effort. It’s a long-term commitment to expanding our understanding of Duxbury’s history, and keeping its stories and landmarks at the center of our community.
Campaign Funding Opportunities
GOAL: $4 MILLION
ENDOWED GIFTS:
Endowed gifts are conservatively invested to ensure growth of the principal over time while using 4.75% of the endowment’s value annually to support DRHS’s mission.
Building and Property Maintenance Fund
$700,000
To support proactive annual maintenance of our properties, protect our collection items and ensure the safety and comfort of our visitors.
Executive Director Position
$400,000
Endowing a position provides a permanent source of funding whereby an annual draw from the fund’s corpus supports salary and related expenses. This reduces dependence on fluctuating annual budgets and allows the organization to plan with confidence.
Director of Archives Position
$400,000
King Caesar House Fund
$400,000
To maintain and preserve the King Caesar House, home of Captain Ezra Weston, shipbuilder, which houses 3500 collection items including rare scenic French wallpaper murals from the early 1800s and the original portrait of Captain Ezra Weston by local portraitist, Rufus Hathaway.
Nathaniel Winsor, Jr. House Fund
$250,000
To maintain and preserve the Nathaniel Winsor, Jr. House, home to the DRHS offices and over 3000 collection items, and the site of many community events annually.
Program, Lecture & Research Fund
$150,000
To support professional development and expand programming opportunities for over 60 mission-driven annual events.
Collections Fund
$400,000
The Collections Fund gives DRHS the flexibility to act quickly when important artifacts or properties become available, ensuring we can secure culturally significant items before they’re lost to private buyers or other institutions.
IMMEDIATE USE GIFTS:
Immediate use gifts provide support for critical preservation projects and meaningful program enhancements that directly advance and strengthen DRHS’s impact today.
Bumpus Park – Seawall Preservation
$600,000
Once a working pier, repairs to the stone walls around the park are necessary to protect it from erosion and to preserve the only space open to the public on Powder Point.
King Caesar House
Mural Wallpaper Restoration • $150,000
Rare early 19th-century scenic wallpaper murals from the prestigious Parisian firms of Dufour and Jaquemart are deteriorating from centuries of salt air and humidity. Restoration is urgently needed to preserve these nationally significant works of art and ensure their survival for future generations.
Barn • $100,000
Barn renovation will provide additional event space and storage for collection items.
Roof • $250,000
Roof repairs are required to prevent damage to interiors and collection items housed there.
Nathaniel Winsor, Jr. House
Foundation Repairs • $50,000
Foundation repairs to the dining room are required to maintain structural integrity and improve climate control.
Interior Preservation • $50,000
Interior painting and floor updates will ensure the space is inviting and well-preserved for hosting community events.
Cedarfield
Water System Replacement • $10,000
The 1836 Cedarfield House offers a rare glimpse into 19th Century American life. Water system improvements and small repairs are needed to keep the property functional and accessible to seasonal visitors.
Allen Property
Boathouse Rehabilitation • $50,000
The DRHS maintains 13 acres of conservation land, including forested areas, a pristine beach and small boathouse on Standish Shore. The boathouse is in need of repairs, and conservation work is required to ensure that the forested area is safe and healthy. These efforts will allow the DRHS to continue limited access to the property for members and small programs.
Collections Fund Immediate Use
$40,000
A more robust collections fund will allow the DRHS to add meaningful objects to our collection when they become available for purchase.
Endowment Growth
An endowment is a lasting gift. Your donation is conservatively invested, with 4.75% of the endowment’s value used annually, providing steady support year after year. The following chart illustrates how your endowed gift will have an impact now, while also growing over time. Your gift will leave a legacy that will benefit the families of Duxbury for generations.
SAMPLE $500,000 ENDOWMENT GROWTH GRID
| Year | Starting Value | Investment Return (6%) | Annual Draw (4.75%) | Ending Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $500,000 | $30,000 | $23,750 | $506,250 |
| 5 | $525,473 | $31,528 | $24,960 | $532,041 |
| 10 | $559,146 | $33,549 | $26,559 | $566,135 |
| 20 | $633,105 | $37,986 | $30,072 | $641,019 |
| 30 | $716,846 | $43,011 | $34,050 | $725,807 |
The Impact of Your Gift
What would Duxbury be without its rural charm and open space? Island Creek Oysters has supported DRHS for many years to underwrite preservation of and access to the Bay and other open space within the Lands Program.
We’ve watched our donation—alongside the diligent work of DRHS volunteers and staff—transform the lands program in a few short years into what it is today. As an experienced corporate donor, we value the opportunity to provide funding that is put to work promptly with significant observable impact. The benefits of our commitment to DRHS far surpassed our expectations. DRHS is not only a steward of some of the town’s most valuable and iconic assets, it has become one of its best-run community organizations. If you want to give back to Duxbury this is a great way to do it.
Chris Sherman, Jr.
CEO, Island Creek OystersThe flat-roofed house where my siblings and I grew up on Powder Point is now gone—making way for a new home and new story. Yet places like Bumpus Park, where we children climbed down the rock walls to play on the mudflats below, and the King Caesar House across the street remain, thanks to the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society. DRHS ensures this sort of treasure is not lost.
That’s why I’ve supported their capital campaign, and I hope to inspire others to contribute as well. The work of people like archivist and historian Carolyn Ravenscroft allows us to understand the town’s history from 1627, when George Soule was granted nearly all the land on Powder Point, and to look forward to 2037, when the town and DRHS will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the incorporation of Duxborough.
Laura Dunn
Even before we moved to town almost thirty years ago, we knew that history was an important part of the culture in Duxbury. We immediately engaged with DRHS. When we experienced the rich calendar of programming and its outsized presence in the community, we were compelled to become part of it. Whether serving as a docent, giving bus tours, sitting on committees and the Board, we realized that it is through volunteering that one can gain the most from this organization. DRHS seems to get better every year. Its programs and rich educational experiences have truly impacted our lives and that of so many others in the community. Contributing to this impressive organization offers its members and its army of volunteers a truly valuable and gratifying experience.
Mary Alisa & Chris Sherman
JOIN US
Because History Lives Here!
The Duxbury Rural & Historical Society asks for your support to ensure that the stories, landscapes, and buildings of Duxbury will continue to inspire people for years to come.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN, PLEASE CONTACT:
Sabrina Kaplan, 781-934-6106
or skaplan@duxburyhistory.org