On July 1, the Bartow History Museum will close its current exhibit space in preparation for its forthcoming move to the 1869 Courthouse. To bid farewell to the location that has housed the museum for the past 15 years, the BHM will host the Opening the Door to the Future reception June 29 from 5 to 7 p.m.

"This is an opportunity for the community to come out and see the museum at its current location one last time," said BHM Director Trey Gaines, adding the free reception also will include refreshments and an opportunity to speak with BHM personnel and volunteers. "[It's] sort of a salute to where we have been and then looking toward the future of the museum and where we are going. ... You can [tour] the museum and then at 6 o'clock we'll have an official toast to the current location, what it's meant to us and what we've accomplished through the years."

While a relocation date has not been determined, Gaines is hopeful patrons will be able to view the exhibits at the new venue by the end of the year. In order to move into the 1869 Courthouse, money and/or pledges need to reach $500,000 to cover various expenses, ranging from developing educational programs to building new exhibits and expanding existing ones. Nearly $240,000 already has been secured, mostly due to a $100,000 challenge grant from the Collins Family Trust.

"I invite people to attend the Opening the Door to the Future event to say farewell to the location they have known as the Bartow History Museum for many years and begin to envision the museum in its new, larger and more historic future home," said BHM's Capital Campaign Chairman Marijon Battles in a news release. "We also hope people will consider making a contribution to help us reach that $500,000 goal so the future home has all the great exhibits and wonderful programs the staff have been planning for the past two years"

Serving as Bartow's courthouse from 1869 to 1902, the two-story brick building was utilized for a variety of purposes in the 1900s, some of which include a roller skating rink, furniture store and warehouse. Sitting vacant since the 1980s, the building under the Church Street Bridge was acquired by the city of Cartersville in 1995 and was renovated with $1.7 million in Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funds. Along with Ron Goss Jr., the city's project manager for the 1869 Courthouse, the renovation received direction from architect Richard L. Thornton.

Once the $500,000 capital campaign funds are obtained, the old courthouse will house the BHM's gift shop, multi-purpose room, and permanent and temporary exhibits. Divided into six galleries, the permanent exhibits will include "A Sense of Place," "Bartow Beginnings," "Community Champions," "People at Work," "The Coming War" and "Toward New Horizons." The nonprofit's staff offices and archives department will remain nearby on the second floor of its current building, 13 N. Wall St. in Cartersville.

While the BHM initially concentrated on a variety of artifacts that chronologically told the county's history, the facility currently features permanent exhibits spanning Cherokee life to the construction of the Allatoona Dam, temporary exhibits throughout year and an archives collection ranging from newspapers to photographs. In 2009, more than 11,000 people toured the museum. Even though the BHM will be closing its exhibits next month, the gift shop and archives department will remain open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., respectively.

"A lot of the components in the current museum will be re-used in the new space," Gaines said. "So in order to prepare some of those materials we had to close the museum [to] dismantle some of the platforms and exhibit components that will be re-used in the space.

"This will also allow us to pack up the artifacts properly and then get them prepared for the move. ... We're real excited that the museum is entering this new phase. We're thankful to the community that has come out and supported us thus far. We continue to stress that we believe this is a community museum. It's our history and we want everyone to be a part of it."

BHM supporters can make a donation by contacting Gaines at the BHM, 770-382-3818 or treyg@bartowhistorymuseum.org. While any contribution is appreciated, Preservation Society donor levels start at $150. In addition to recognition on the Preservation Society Wall of Honor, Preservation Society donors will receive quarterly updates through the BHM's newsletter, a print of the courthouse, a tour during construction and a private tour of the venue prior to opening.

Pledges also are being accepted, and financial contributions can be divided up over a three-year period.