The GAR Hall and Museum launches the new GAR Revitalization Project with installation of elevator and handicapped restrooms — plus a community engagement initiative
Built in 1885 with funds raised by local Civil War veterans, G.A.R. Post 5 became the largest post in the country with 1,847 members. Ceded to the City of Lynn in 1919, the building has been underutilized and is in need of significant repairs. The GAR Revitalization Project’s mission is to make the GAR Hall and Museum a vital community resource, by repairing and upgrading the building, and by finding ways to use the building more actively to support Lynn’s veterans and nonprofits
The structure is in urgent need of repair, and the first phase of that reconstruction has begun with the installation of an elevator, handicapped accessible bathrooms, and updates to the first floor storefronts. These changes make the building compliant with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), and will enable broader use of the building and access to funding for further efforts.
In addition, the Trustees of the GAR Hall and Museum are working on finding new uses for space in the building, building on the wishes of the Civil War Union veterans, who gifted the building to the city in a Home Rule Petition in 1919. To that end a community engagement program is also being launched to discover needs of Lynn veterans and nonprofit community organizations; a survey is available at https://form.jotform.com/240705769727063.
Mission Statement of the GAR Hall and Museum
The GAR Hall and Museum shall serve as a memorial to the people of Lynn who served in the United States military, particularly during the Civil War, as well as those who served in other US conflicts. Honoring the wishes of Civil War veterans, as enshrined in the State of Massachusetts Acts of 1919, the GAR building is intended for the use of, and for the benefit of, Lynn veterans, as well as for Lynn’s patriotic, charitable, benevolent or educational organizations. These goals will be achieved through the development and presentation of exhibits and programming; and by making the GAR Hall and Museum a vital community resource.
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