Museum Move
The City of Renton has asked RHS to move out of the Renton History Museum by July 15th, 2025. The building must be empty due to the critical renovations taking place, and so RHS is tasked with securing a building large enough to store approximately 3,000 square feet of artifacts now held in the Museum.
This project is in the initial planning stages, and we will post updates as soon as they are available.
Public Access
When an artifact is accessioned into the RHS collection, information about that object, details about where and who it came from (also called provenance), and photos of the item are added to a digital record. This record is stored in an online database to be used by staff, researchers and academics to better understand and explain the object, as well as the context in which it existed.
The RHS digital database was first created in the mid-2000’s using a program called PastPerfect. The PastPerfect program RHS used lived on a single computer, accessible only by visiting the Museum, by those who were experienced in using a program of its kind. Over time, the version of the program loaded on the computer, and the computer itself, grew out of date. This limited its ability to serve as a public resource.
In 2024, RHS and Renton History Museum began the process of separation. As the separation progressed, RHS was tasked with creating a second copy of the digital collection to be utilized by RHS staff independent of the Museum. The PastPerfect program had changed a great deal over time, and RHS elected to move the data into an advanced, versatile version of the software. This will ensure that RHS has the tools necessary to navigate the changes ahead.
The PastPerfect program offers a feature called ‘public access’, which allows historical societies like ours to publish their digital records online. Some organizations charge for access to these digital archives, however RHS has decided that in order to best serve the community, we will make access to our digital records free.
Free public access is becoming increasingly popular in historical society and museum spaces, as it reduces all barriers between the public and their history. Because of the level of support available for this type of project, RHS was awarded over $170,000 by 4Culture to develop this resource and is eligible for hundreds of thousands more in federal funding.
Rentonhistory.org now offers the residents of Renton a new, better resourced, website. This website will host the public access feature under the 'Collections' tab in the main navigation. We plan to present our first series of remotely viewable artifacts as early as April 2025.
Annex Foundation Repair
RHS owns a building in downtown Renton referred to as the Annex. This building was purchased by RHS in order to house artifact overflow from the Renton History Museum. It offers approximately 1,200 square feet of storage, and contains shelving and the larger artifacts like the car, coal cart and egg washing machine.
This building was originally built in the 1970s, and remains on its original foundation. Over time, the soil beneath the foundation has compacted, causing the corners of the building to sink below level and leading to splits in the walls. In this condition, the building is at risk of failing under stressors, specifically those caused by a changing climate.
The annex is situated on a small plot of land with no parking, and is grandfathered into municipal building codes that prevent the building from undergoing major renovations. Because of this, the building's market value is not high.
A detailed investigation into the feasibility of maintaining the property was completed with the help of volunteer engineer Eric Tuazon. Given the needs of the organization in the short and long term, RHS leadership decided to commit to repairing the building.
The Annex foundation repair will cost approximately $100,000, over half of which will be spent on moving the artifacts out of the building for the week the workers will need to complete their tasks. While the artifacts are out of the building, a major reorganization will take place to maximize the space available.
The foundation will come with a lifetime warranty, which will ensure the artifacts will have a reliable home for decades to come. The repair will occur before July 2025.
