Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum explores new funding options amid library budget cuts

David and John Johnson grew up in Coshocton County in the 1800s and started collecting spear points and arrow heads at a very young age. As adults they still enjoyed collecting artifacts, even as they lived in New York City and worked for a dressmaker in France.

While working for this dressmaker, the Johnsons made several trips to Europe and continued their search for artifacts there. Later, they moved to Tacoma, Washington and still enjoyed collecting items. They had a fascination with Native American art, Asian art and china from many countries. Their collection grew to more than 15,000 pieces.

After their deaths, they bequeathed their collection to the City of Coshocton for a museum. They asked that the museum be named after their father’s family, the Johnsons, and their mother’s family, the Humrickhouses. In 1924 the city wasn’t financially able to start a museum.

Warner Pomerene, a local attorney and library board member, and William Bachert, a business owner, worked together to bring the collection to Coshocton. In July 1929 the library board approved taking ownership of the collection, and two years later, they persuaded the Coshocton City School Board to lease the old Sycamore School building to them to house the museum.

The collection had been stored in the Ferry Museum in Tacoma for seven years. In January 1931 a train carried 109 boxes, 20 crates, 30 barrels and two bales of the Johnson’s artifacts to Coshocton. The Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum opened May 8, 1931, with more than 2,000 people waiting to enter.

Today, the museum still gets its funding from the library’s fund. Jennifer Austin, director of the Coshocton District Library, said, “How much is transferred from the library’s budget to the museum is at the discretion of the library board of trustees."

Funding for Ohio’s libraries changed July 1. Instead of receiving a percentage of the state’s general revenue fund, Ohio libraries became a line item. Locally, this amounts to around a $120,000 decrease over the state’s biennium budget period. About $70,000 has been transferred to the museum annually over the last few years.”

Austin said the relationship between the library and the museum is unique and rare in Ohio.

Jennifer Bush, director of the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum, said the museum is looking into separating from the library, but the process isn’t easy.

“This is really unknown. It’s hard to find examples of a museum owned by a library. One possibility is to work with the port authority to be a conduit to get the building from a government entity to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The board and the attorneys are still in the research phase of this,” Bush said.

If the museum does become a nonprofit, it would be funded under the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum Foundation.

“We would need to find more funding to cushion the endowment so we can continue to thrive in the future, and that is something we are beginning to look into,” Bush said.

She also said increasing their membership and visitors would help with funding.

Bush said state funding is a possibility for the museum, and they already receive funding from the Ohio Arts Council. She said she will look into more funding options in the next year.

“I want the community to know our goal, if this happens, is to make it as seamless as possible. We do not want any interruptions in our operations, and we will continue to offer free or low-cost programming and local special exhibits. We will continue to offer free school tours for all county schools and our free Sundays for Coshocton County residents.”

Bush said the museum needs the community’s support now more than ever and that anyone can donate to the museum.

“I hope that everyone can get behind us and help us through this. Next year the museum turns 95 years old, and we want to continue to be a staple in the community while also doing our part to help bring tourism to experience the awesome history we have in Coshocton County,” Bush said. “The last point I want to make is that the museum will not close. This is not an option and will never be an option. I want that to be clear.”

Donations to the museum can be made on its website, in person or through the mail.