Campaign Progress
ANNUAL GIVING 2025
Help with major upcoming improvements by donating to the Annual Giving Campaign!
The Oswego County Historical Society has preserved the historic Richardson-Bates House Museum and all of its treasured collections since 1946. From the very beginning, we’ve relied on the generosity of donors like you to fund our preservation efforts and help increase public access to Oswego County history.
We’re kicking off this year’s Annual Giving Campaign fundraiser at $19,000, picked in reference to the birth year of Elizabeth Bates Cowles, who funded major restorations to the museum in 1975.
Approximately 30% of our annual income comes from Annual Giving, and that funding is what allows us to maintain our historic house, complete projects, develop new exhibitions and programming, and more.
Can we count on your support?
If you believe, as we do, in the power of preserving local history to share with future generations, please consider a year-end donation to Annual Giving. Keep reading for a sneak preview of what’s in store for 2026, as well as a look at major projects we completed in the last 12 months.
Thank you for considering a contribution.
Joey Sweener
Chair, Annual Giving
Eva Corradino
President, Board of Trustees
COMPLETED
Ongoing Maintenance Projects
Facilities Manager and board member Dan Ruddy, with help from a cavalcade of volunteers, have been hard at work this year tackling various maintenance projects across the museum.
From new doors on the property’s detached garage, to new laminate flooring in our first floor offices, projects big and small have taken shape. Next on the agenda is fixing a significant hole in the south wing’s soffit, and reinstalling the finial atop the museum’s tower, a project funded in part by last year’s Annual Giving campaign.
UPCOMING PROJECT
An Elevator at the Richardson-Bates
In 2026, we will begin work on fundraising for an elevator to be installed in the Richardson-Bates House Museum. The multi-story structure is in dire need of better accessibility for the many visitors coming to view Dr. Mary Walker’s Medal of Honor, as well as for the researchers and volunteers who access our two libraries on the upper floors. We’ve worked with a consultant to find an elevator unit that can fit the existing shaft, and have verified the feasibility of the project from City Code Enforcement and a structural engineer.
Now the real work begins. Follow us on Facebook for the latest updates, and consider increasing your Annual Giving contribution to help give us a lift on this project.
IN COLLABORATION WITH SHANE JOHNSON
Dr. Walker Documentary Now in Development
Developed by Shane Johnson in partnership with the Oswego County Historical Society, Courage and Conviction: Dr Mary Walker’s War is the first feature-length documentary to fully chronicle the life of Oswego’s own Dr. Walker.
The film—currently in pre-production—will trace Walker’s path through her formative childhood in Oswego County, to her tireless fight for an Army commission during the Civil War that awarded her the Congressional Medal of Honor, to her decades-long advocacy for women’s suffrage and dress reform. It will also tackle the present-day, contested struggles of her legacy and memory.
Army Medal of Honor photo by Shannon Rae for American Battlefield Trust, 2019.
UPCOMING PROJECT
Honoring America250
The Oswego County Historical Society is proud to be participating in the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, with plans large and small expected throughout the year. Members can look forward to a special edition of our winter newsletter—hitting mailboxes January 2026—showcasing recent discoveries in our collection that place Oswego directly into the national conversation.
Once the webpage is live, bookmark our special America250 hub and check back often for by-the-minute updates on how Oswego County Historical Society and other area organizations are celebrating and honoring America250.
Prefer to pay by check?
Please mail your donation to:
ATTN: Annual Giving Campaign
Oswego County Historical Society
135 East Third Street
Oswego, NY 13126
Make a Gift Through Your Estate
Did you know that if you send your contribution directly from the institution handling your required minimum distribution (RMD) from IRAs, you might see a tax advantage? Please consider including Oswego County Historical Society and the Annual Giving Campaign in your estate planning.
