Lexington Historical Society To Transform Into Lexington History Museums

Lexington Historical Society will soon be known as Lexington History Museums. At the organization's annual meeting on April 4 it was announced that the rebranding will accompany the large capital project known as the "Depot Transformation."

The rebranding effort was led by H2 Design Studio, the museum planning and design firm hired to develop the interpretive plan and exhibition design for the Depot itself. Larissa Hansen-Hallgren, H2 Design Studio's Principal and Creative Director, commented, "As museums look to the future and recognize the need for more inclusivity, removing the word "society" from a name creates a greater sense of welcome and belonging for more people. The new name acknowledges the four museums with the new use of the plural "museums." The new logo, which uses four historical and contemporary stars, is a nod to the four museums at LHM and is illustrated in a fresh contemporary color palette that illustrates the intersection of historical and contemporary content at LHM. This type of thinking is essential in order to position LHM in such a way as to remain relevant and sustainable."

Hansen-Hallgren and Frank Vagnone were the guest speakers at the annual meeting. Vagnone is known for writing The Anarchist's Guide to Historic House Museums, and as he states, "the world around us is changing by the day - in my experience, history museums must adapt. These changes reflect an organization that is responsive and thoughtful about transformations."

Representative Michelle Ciccolo has been an advocate of the project since day one, securing the initial $150,000 earmark from the State which launched the Depot Transformation fundraising initiative. Rep. Ciccolo attended the Annual Meeting and stated, "It was exciting to see the vision unfolding for the Lexington Historical Society's planned upgrades to its historic houses. The new logo and branding will help the public understand the terrific resources these living museums provide to the community as we look for ways to share our incredible revolutionary war era history with the broader world."

The new logo was inspired by the intersection of historical and contemporary star designs - honoring the iconography of items from the museum's collection while bringing both colors, fonts and styles together to create a more dynamic and active look for the future of the organization.

Founded in 1886, Lexington Historical Society is an independent non-profit passionate about preserving Lexington's history and sharing it with the public. The mission of the Historical Society is to be a premier interpreter of the events of April 1775, and the faithful steward of all of the town's history through time.

Executive Director, Carol S. Ward believes, "the rebranding will make our mission and purpose more transparent, not only to the local Lexington community, but to the broader tourist population who we hope to attract through our historic house museums, public programs and amazing collections. We are a set of history museums and we wanted to make that clear to our entire constituency."

Anne Lee, the President of the Board of Directors, echoed these sentiments. "The transition of our DBA name to Lexington History Museums mirrors the exciting opportunities presented by the Depot Transformation Project. The name more accurately includes our multiple museum spaces and better describes our efforts to share our stories in creative and innovative ways. Museums have evolved tremendously and the name is now associated with a place of activity, interaction, and stimulation."

The new name and logo will launch in tandem with the grand opening of the transformed Depot. The project will transform the Society's headquarters into an interactive exhibition and education space, setting the stage for the visitor's experience of Lexington history and the three other museums the Society oversees (Buckman Tavern, Munroe Tavern and the Hancock-Clarke House) and is slated to be completed and open to the public in the Fall of 2024.

To learn more about the Depot Transformation project, please visit our website https://www.lexingtonhistory.org/ or call us at 781-862-1703.

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