The Museum of Ceramics is a hidden county treasure

One of Columbiana County’s hidden gems is being threatened by a state budgetary shortfall.

Funding for the Museum of Ceramics in East Liverpool is in jeopardy because of restructuring of the Ohio Historical Society. An extension of limited funding to the museum was made last week, but the museum still faces an uncertain future.

The museum was facing elimination of all funding May 30, but OHS officials said an extension will be granted during which some of the funding will be provided. The actual length of that extension has not yet been decided.

Facing a $2 million funding decrease from the state, the OHS announced April 11 it would restructure, laying off 26 employees and reducing operating hours at several historical sites around the state.

The Museum of Ceramics is among four sites the OHS is asking to operate under management agreements. This would entail a local group, such as the Friends of the Ceramic Museum, taking over operations with the OHS paying a stipend between $5,000 and $10,000 annually. The museum would retain all admission fees generated.

If you’re not familiar with the museum, then you’re missing out on one of the county’s greatest treasures.

The exhibits in the museum depict the growth and development of East Liverpool and its ceramic industry from 1840 to 1930, the period during which the city’s potteries produced more than 50 percent of America’s entire ceramics output. Through photographs, ceramic pieces and other artifacts along with life-size dioramas, the exhibits portray the products and day-to-day life of the city that was once hailed as the Pottery Capital of the World.

Although many of us who live around here do not regularly take advantage of all that the museum has to offer, pottery researchers and aficionados often use the museum’s facilities and recognize it as one of the best sources of historical information. In addition, the facility is a regular tour site for pottery buffs when collectors’ conventions are held in our area. Many schoolchildren visit the museum on school field trips because teachers recognize its value as a rich source of local history.

Without the museum, an important era of our history could be forgotten.

We are grateful for the temporary extension of partial funding for the museum, but that will not be enough.

East Liverpool City Council’s planning and expansion committee passed a resolution of support for the museum at Monday’s meeting, but we feel the city could do more to retain one of its best tourist attractions. Council should consider urging its tourism bureau to donate some of the income from the city’s hotel/motel and bed taxes to help save the museum, if city ordinance permits earmarking funds for a specific site. The money is intended for tourism use and this is one of the city’s biggest drawing points.

Volunteers and donations will eventually be needed to keep the museum going, but in the meantime, museum supporters are asking local residents to write letters of support to Gov. Ted Strickland, local legislators and OHS trustees urging the historical society to continue the current level of funding beyond the May 30 deadline. This will give local groups time to organize long-term financial support for the museum, as well as time to establish a local management plan.

If you haven’t been to the museum lately, or if you’ve never been there, you need to visit to see how vital this landmark is to preserving our history. The museum is open Wednesdays through Saturdays: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.