Vote to fund restoration of a railroad car!

You can vote daily between now and May 12 to help determine which historic preservation projects receives a share of $1 million in the Partners in Preservation Seattle Initiative. To get more information and link to the voting site, visit http://www.trainmuseum.org

Railroad preservation and the Northwest Railway Museum have secured an incredible opportunity: the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the American Express Foundation have selected a railroad chapel car to compete for funding in the Partners in Preservation Seattle initiative. This is the first railroad car and railway museum to be involved in this five-year-old initiative that distributes $1 million annually to qualified historic preservation projects. In all, 25 projects are competing for a share of funding; project values range from $65,000 to $125,000.

Funding awards will be decided in part by a public vote conducted between April 15 and May 12. Members of the public may vote daily and the top vote getter will be awarded full funding; additional projects will be funded based in part on the public response.

Chapel car 5 Messenger of Peace was built by Barney and Smith in 1898 and served the Baptist Publication Society, Baptist Home Mission Society and the Railroad YMCA for fifty years. It operated in at least 11 states and traveled extensively in the Pacific Northwest. After retirement, it was used in several creative ways from 1948 until 2006 including as a roadside diner, seaside cottage, and an unlicensed pharmaceutical distribution facility. In 2007 it was donated and moved to the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie, Washington. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Washington Heritage Register and is a City of Snoqualmie Landmark.

The chapel car requires extensive rehabilitation and restoration to return it to its period of greatest significance. A Save America’s Treasures grant awarded in December 2009 will combine with a Washington State Historical Society grant, funding from 4Culture and private contributions to allow carbody work to begin. Partners in Preservation funding, if awarded, will allow substantial completion of the project including fabrication of missing pews for the sanctuary.

To learn more and vote, visit http://www.trainmuseum.org

There is a web page with "all chapel car, all the time" at http://www.MessengerOfPeace.org

You can also find a Facebook page just for the chapel car at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chapel-Car-5-Messenger-of-Peace/103411726367977

Thanks,

--Richard

Remember to vote for the chapel car! It's almost like historic Chicago: vote early and vote often. You can vote once a day, but only until May 12.

Your vote helps put railroad preservation on the map as much as it helps the chapel car. It is quite challenge competing with well organized arts groups and governmental agencies based in large cities. Like many of your institutions, we are in a rural area. This fact is often difficult to overcome when applying for funding and this competition gives us the chance to all speak with one voice. Perhaps your project will be next . . .

Thanks,
--Richard

I'm voting daily. Will anyone else help save this special car?

I know and understand how a chapel car may not be of great interest to some of the readers/posters of this board.

Please understand the significance of getting ANY rail car or locomotive in a competition of this nature and the potential for others to follow if the project is funded and successfully completed. Also consider we are the first railway museum to be involved in this competition and our success will make it easier for others.

Please vote for the chapel car today and every day until May 12 at http://www.PartnersInPreservation.org

Thanks,

--Richard

Hopefully many of you are finding time to vote. . . if you've forgotten the address to vote it is http://www.PartnersInPreservation.org

Coming up on May 1 & 2, the Northwest Railway Museum will be having an open house for the chapel car. Weather permitting, the tarps will be removed. If there is rain, we will lift the side of the tarps so visitors can see the car as it is now. With the structural issues in the car, it isn't possible for the public to go inside the car but stairs will be positioned so you can view inside. The event will be held at the Snoqualmie Depot between 11 AM and 4 PM.

Thanks for passing on information about this unique project and for finding time to vote for the project. As always, more information is available at http://www.MessengerOfPeace.org

--Richard

Thanks for voting! We've moved into 10th place, but our work isn't done yet! Please help us move Messenger of Peace further up the list by voting "religiously" every day until May 12 at http://www.PartnersInPreservation.org

Some of our local officials got on board with project endorsements this week. Check out the new 90 second video at http://www.trainmuseum.blogspot.com

Another little factoid for dedicated preservationists to consider: a wood passenger car (or chapel car) rehabilitation done right can be every bit as expensive as a steam locomotive rehabilitation. This grant would provide approximately 25% of the cash cost of restoring the Messenger of Peace to its former glory.

Thanks for helping,

--Richard

Thanks in part to your votes, the Barney and Smith-built chapel car 5 Messenger of Peace has moved into 9th place.

Amazingly, this car has survived and last year was listed on the National Register of HIstoric Places AND secured a Save America's Treasures grant. Built in 1898, this mobile church is a testimate to how powerful the railroads were in the late 19th Century. It worked for the railroad YMCA, was an exhibit at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, and of course visited hundreds of communities from Wesdt Virginia to the Pacific Northwest.

We need one of the $100,000 grants the National Trust and American Express are awarding based in part on the level of public engagement (i.e. how many votes it got) in this competition. 9th place of 25 is not bad, but hopefully we can do better - this is the only railroad car or locomotive to every be in this competition and its success could bode well for projects at other museums and historical societies.

If you are not already voting every day, please help us increase our ranking. You can vote every day until May 12 at http://www.PartnersInPreservation.org

Learn more about this unusual car at http://www.MessengerOfPeace.org

Thanks,

--Richard

Richard, you might want to visit the clergymen and women in your general area- regardless of their faith. They are likely to be very interested in the car and the way it took a place of worship to the people.

You might find some powerful allies behind the pulpit, and if even a small portion of their "flocks" learned of your project it could make a big difference both financially and in terms of volunteer help. If nothing else, their prayers can't hurt!

Best of luck. This is a beautiful car that is fortunate to have such a good home.

Steve Hunter

http://www.sfrmeo.ca/
http://public.fotki.com/elliottd/sfrmeo/