Collections Mission and Policy

Collections mission:

The St Lawrence County Historical Association (SLCHA) is the central repository for archival, manuscript, and artifactual material about the county. The Collections of the SLCHA are the physical evidence which reflects St Lawrence County as a unique place, while also existing in a broader regional, state, national, and international context. The artifacts and documents will be collected for their intrinsic meaningfulness/significance to St Lawrence County history and will represent the diverse social, political, economic, and cultural heritage of the area.

Archives mission:

The purpose of the archives is to collect, preserve, and make accessible materials - documents, manuscripts, library materials, maps, photographs, and ephemera which record, inform, and support the study/research of St Lawrence County history. In addition to the appropriateness of materials as a criteria for accepting to the collection, the issues of storage space, object conservation, preservation need, accessibility, and use will be considered.

Collecting policy:

To this end, the Association, at the recommendation of the Director, Collections Manager, and/or Collections Committee, will collect by gift, bequest, exchange, or purchase in two major categories:

1. Silas Wright: household furniture, furnishings, and documents as outlined on the 1848 inventory of the contents of the Silas Wright House; items not directly tied to Silas Wright, but appropriate for interpreting a facet of Wright history
2. St Lawrence County: items made by, used by, or pertaining to the residents, past and present, of St Lawrence County (1750-present); items not tied directly to St Lawrence County but appropriate for interpreting a facet of county history