Amazon Awards Grant to Plan Hermiston Museum
November 17, 2023
Amazon Web Services has awarded the Hermiston Historical and Cultural Society a grant for planning and exploration of a center to promote the history and culture of the community. The Historical Society formed in July 2022 as one of Oregon’s arts, heritage and humanities nonprofits.
AWS awarded grants to 41 recipients from 13 cities and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation as part of its Eastern Oregon InCommunities Fund.
As there is no museum or arts center in Hermiston, the Society’s goal is to collect, preserve and promote the history and culture of our community, connecting people to the past and future by providing learning opportunities for all ages.
To this end, the Historical Society has asked the City to help create such a center at the city-owned Carnegie Building, including preservation of this historical landmark that was last used as the city library in 1989 and has since been used for city offices. Built in 1915, the Hermiston Carnegie Building was designed by Portland architect Folger Johnson, the architect for seven Carnegie libraries in Oregon, three of which are on the National Register: the Gresham Library in 1913, the Umatilla County Library in Pendleton in 1916 and the Colonial Revival Arleta Library in Portland in 1918.
At this time, the City is months away from deciding if and when it will make the building available, since it is currently being used to temporarily house staff as permanent space elsewhere is created.
In its relatively short time in Hermiston, AWS has made a historically significant impact in shaping the present and future of our community. Grant recipients have included nonprofits, government entities, schools, libraries, and individuals.
“We are immensely grateful for your support as one of the first contributors to our project,” said Anne Doherty, the Historical Society’s president.
The AWS community fund supports projects focused on education, sustainability, health and wellbeing, STEM, culture and heritage, and hunger relief. Through this fund, applicants receive funds of up to $10,000 to launch a new project or expand an existing one.
