Some fast facts about our expenditures:

• Utilities for this 13,000 square foot building are approximately $6,000 a year.
• Security—including the required phone lines—and Fire Monitoring total close to $9,000.
• Over 90% of our operating budget goes towards overhead costs: utilities, maintenance, and repair of the House.
• We have only one paid employee, a part time museum assistant.
• Overall, our annual expenses average approximately $60,000.

These are the costs that keep the Richardson-Bates House Museum alive. However, much of the work is done “backstage”—processing a backlog of donations and housing them in proper acid-free materials; replacement of electrical wiring that dated as far back as 1920; and much needed management of plumbing/heating systems.

Thanks to your financial support last year, some grants, and the work done by our wonderful volunteers, we have been able to complete the following “backstage” projects:

• replace the door and decking of our handicap ramp
• repair many windows whose frames had deteriorated
• reinforce a brick structural wall in the basement
• replace our electrical service box
• Scan and preserve about 4,000 photographs and documents

As our donors, you know that you are not only helping maintain the Richardson-Bates House Museum, but also preserving thousands of rare documents and photos that are part of the collections of Oswego county history housed here.

Thank you so much for your generosity!