Historic preservation committee plans May 30 museum event to launch Preservation Month

The Benton County Historic Preservation Committee confirmed plans on Monday to launch Preservation Month with an event at the Corvallis museum on May 30 and began assigning volunteers to line up vendors, a band and speakers.

Committee members said the museum facility has been reserved and that volunteers will coordinate vendor tables, AV and a small program featuring a keynote, short awards and local stewards telling preservation stories. A committee member said, “I have confirmed with Michelle Hoffman of the Corvallis Museum that we do have May 30th, Saturday reserved,” and urged members to begin vendor outreach and exhibit planning.

Why it matters: the event is intended as both a public celebration and a platform to tell community-focused stories about historic buildings, and the committee sees it as a way to broaden public support for larger preservation projects, including work on the county courthouse.

Details and assignments agreed by the group include recruiting craftspeople and restoration specialists for demonstration tables, lining up one or two speakers plus brief award presentations, and coordinating with museum staff on room layout and AV. Members asked that the committee secure up to six six‑foot vendor tables (the museum has tables available but may require some brought in) and work with museum staff on room and hallway setups to accommodate a band in the lobby and vendors along the entry corridor.

The committee also discussed outreach to downtown business owners, homeowners willing to host tours, and local contractors who specialize in historic‑building work. Organizers said they will use existing materials in a shared Google Drive to coordinate assignments and will report progress back to the group at the next meeting.

Next steps: volunteers will follow up with the museum’s point person, confirm vendor commitments and AV needs, and circulate a draft program. Committee members also agreed to explore integrating courthouse-related programming or exhibits as part of the broader Preservation Month messaging.