Het Museum & Te Ronde House

On September 8, 1975, Audley Roerdink, Marion Hilbelink, Shirley Sager, and Margaret Voskuil went before the village board to discuss financial and operational aspects of the museum. It was decided that the village board and the Holland Guild Board would together select a museum board. Until a museum board was selected and working, the bicentennial committee would continue to raise funds to renovate the building for museum purposes. It was also suggested that the Holland Guild president attend the bicentennial committee meetings and report back to the guild.

By November 6, 1975, the selections for the first museum board had been made. The initial museum board included Leslie Wieberdink, Village Board member; Al Holle, Holland Guild member; Vera Mentink, three-year term; LeRoy Winkelhorst, three-year term; Bob Sass, two-year term; Marilyn Westerbeke, two-year term; and Donna Smies, one-year term. At that meeting, Bob Sass became the first president of the Museum Board.

Suddenly, thousands of details had to be attended to. Fundraising was a priority to which the community responded very well. As funds began to come in, donations of artifacts and other memorabilia began to arrive as well. A printed form for handling museum donations and loans was approved and put into use. To keep the community informed, all donations from different sources were published in The Villager.

On January 6, 1976, Bob Sass presented plans to draftsman Bernard Wynveen for the outside of the building. The same picture was published in the Villager asking area residents to help select a name for the museum. In February the plans for renovation of the museum building were given to all of the carpenters in the village and the lowest bid was to be accepted. LeRoy Huenink was chosen for the job and renovation work began in April of 1976.

It is interesting to note that equipment from Lewis Smies’ blacksmith shop was moved into the museum building before ren-ovation ever began thus indicating that the project was moving forward on many fronts. That first museum board apparently had faith aplenty because at the June 7, 1976, board meeting it was decided to have the museum open for Holland Festival that year. Volunteers from the “Golden Agers” were requested to help with registration of museum guests, and their response was heartening.

Great progress was made over the next several months. A sign by Hans Krommenhoek, brick for the front, new front doors, painting, paneling, a new roof, electrical upgrades, additional lighting, window repairs, and shutters were just a few of the changes that had to be made. The move was also on to provide display cases, filing cabinets, and other office equipment in a timely manner. Display areas had to be provided for the wide variety of donated artifacts that were beginning to appear. Flags were displayed outside the building and plantings were done by the local garden club, all to welcome the museum’s first visitors during the 1976 Holland Festival.