By ROBERT LINNEHAN | The Cherry Hill Sun
The historic Barclay Farmstead Museum will no longer host regular hours to the public, as its staff of four part-time employees were laid off. On June 14 the township announced its preliminary tax levy and a 10-percent reduction in the township’s work force.
Several residents and Friends of the Barclay Farmstead Museum expressed their regret at last night’s Council meeting and urged Mayor Bernie Platt to not let the museum go into disrepair.
Chief of Staff Dan Keashen said the general hours for the historic museum will no longer be open to the public. The Farmstead was open from Tuesday to Friday from noon to 4 p.m. On the first Sunday of each month the museum was open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Because of the economic crisis and the cost associated with the museum, Keashen said those general hours will no longer be kept, and the four part-time employees will be let go. By closing the museum on these days and reducing staff, the township hopes to save about $25,000.
The historic landmark will still be maintained and will still have utilities, he said, but will cost much less to run.
“It’s an unfortunate part of the new normal in this economic climate,” he said.
Tours will still be offered at the museum, but they have to be reserved in advance, Keashen said. Interested groups or individuals can call the Cherry Hill Department of Recreation to reserve a tour time. The museum generally hosted only about 120 tours a year, he said.
He stressed that all programs — such as the Living History Program — will be continued at the Farmstead and are not going to be cancelled.
