March 4th, 2018
Eric Metzger joins the McAllister House Museum as Executive Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: March 4, 2018
MEDIA CONTACT: Eric Metzger Museum Executive Director 720.447.8600 | mcallister.director@gmail.com
SUBJECT: Eric Metzger joins the McAllister House Museum as Executive Director
COLORADO SPRINGS –The McAllister House Museum is pleased to announce that Eric Metzger has been hired as the organization’s first Executive Director. Mr. Metzger brings with him over 20 years of museum experience, most recently as the Museum Services Director at the Metropolitan Waterworks Museum in Boston, Massachusetts. The Executive Director position at the McAllister House was facilitated by a multi-year operating grant from El Pomar Foundation. In this new position, Mr. Metzger is charged with bringing greater visibility to the McAllister House Museum and implementing the organization’s strategic vision. Mr. Metzger will also be spearheading new marketing, and development initiatives for the organization.
Mr. Metzger has spent most of his life along the Front Range preserving and interpreting cultural resources in both non-profit and for-profit organizations. As an archaeologist and a museum professional, he has been associated with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, University of Colorado at Boulder, Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, Lamanai Field Research Center (Belize), the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard, and the Robbins Museum of Archaeology. “I’m very pleased to be home in Colorado and working for the McAllister House Museum which has demonstrated such a strong passion for preserving and interpreting Pikes Peak regional history for more than 50 years,” said Mr. Metzger. “I look forward to getting out into the community and engaging with the public about our history here in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region. We are fortunate to have had strong founding families, such as the McAllisters, who built and shaped our region into what it is today, and we need to continue to honor their legacy.”
The McAllister House Museum is a National Historic Landmark that has been owned and operated by The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Colorado (NSCDA in CO) since 1961. “Our organization’s primary interest is in preserving the house as a major part of Colorado Springs history” says NSCDA in CO McAllister House Chairperson Terry Thatcher. “I very much appreciate the commitment shown to this goal by El Pomar Foundation, making it possible for us to hire a qualified museum professional such as Mr. Metzger as our new Executive Director.
In 1862, Henry McAllister volunteered for service in the Civil War and served under General Palmer in the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry achieving the rank of major. The House was built in 1873 for Major McAllister and his family and is the oldest brick house in Colorado Springs. It was designed by architect George Summers and the woodwork was done by Winfield Scott Stratton.
The McAllister House is located at 423 N. Cascade Avenue, in Colorado Springs one block west of the downtown business district and near Colorado College and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. For general museum information visit www.mcallisterhouse.org or call 719-635-7925. For further inquiries or partnership opportunities at the McAllister House Museum, please contact Eric Metzger at mcallister.director@gmail.com.
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McAllister receives Grant for Foundation Stabilization and Masonry Repair
May 6th, 2015
Be sure to read Bill Vogrin’s article in the 5/6/15 Gazette
http://gazette.com/side-streets-colorado-springs-pioneer-home-gets-historic-grant-after-column-reveals-threat/article/1551084
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A local writer visits the museum
February 6th, 2015
http://www.usrepresented.com/2015/01/03/modern-mcallisters/
http://www.usrepresented.com/2014/12/30/ten-reasons-visit-mcallister-house/
Visit the above blogs to read about the museum.
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El Paso County Pioneers’ Association, Inc Support of the Museum
December 4th, 2014
Today members of the El Paso County Pioneers’ Association came to the museum to present a check in the amount of $1,000 to help us with the cost of repairs to the museum.
Chairman Terry Thatcher gratefully accepted this check and we can guarantee it will be put to good use. Following, in pdf format, is the wonderful letter they included with their check.
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State Historic Fund Grant Request
November 5th, 2014
Side Streets: Oldest brick home in Colorado Springs needs urgent preservation help
Be sure to read Bill Vogrin’s article in the November 5, 2014 Colorado Springs Gazette writing about our effort to obtain funds to make repairs to the Museum.
http://gazette.com/side-streets-oldest-brick-home-in-colorado-springs-needs-urgent-preservation-help/article/1540829
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Repair of Hail Damage
July 16th, 2014
The museum was a victim of the huge hail storm that hit Colorado Springs in May, 2014. Thanks once again to Aspen Glass the broken windows in the museum were repaired the next day for free. The damage to the south side of the Carriage House was another matter but this week painters started on the repair work. It will be nice to see our former barn/stable back in good condition.
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Cleansing the Museum
July 10th, 2014
Intuitive Consultants, Dr. Anne Salisbury and Greg Meyerhoff of Go Intuition visited the museum on July 9, 2014 to cleanse the energy of the House. In the last few years we’ve had lightning strikes, hail damage, furnace collapses, leaky air conditioner, gas leaks and much more. Many of these maintenance issues are to be expected in an old house but it seemed lately that the minute one item was repaired, another broke. Anne is a Colonial Dame and so volunteered herself and her patient husband to come see what they could do. We will be receiving a full report from them on what they found but for now we know Major McAllister says he and his family would NEVER haunt the house! It was a happy home with the sound of children laughing and running (though never in the formal dining room or parlor). And they stored apples in the cellar.
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Our Curator and School Tours
June 20th, 2014
We are so grateful for the talents and expertise of our wonderful curator and our docents who provide the tours and educational opportunities for visitors and students. Their fine work was recognized this year by the Superintendent of Schools of School District 11 in Colorado Springs. Thank you to all our docents and especially our curator!
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After Hours Garden Club
March 29th, 2014
Today was a beautiful day and so several ladies from the After Hours Garden Club raked and cleaned up the yard at the museum. What would we do without so many wonderful people helping us?!
Spring Cleanup for the yard
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Thank you, Aspen Glass!
February 19th, 2014
A special thank you to Aspen Glass which is donating the replacement glass for the pane in the children’s bedroom as well as coming back to replace two cracked panes in the same window. We are so grateful for the support of such a fine Colorado Springs business.
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