TROY, Mich. (WXYZ) — At the Troy Historic Village, it’s like taking a step back in time. The museum here is home to 11 historic buildings, each one giving you a glimpse in the city’s past.
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"So, really what we’re all about is preserving history, telling stories, and creating community," said Jen Peters, the Executive Director of Troy Historic Village.
From a one-room schoolhouse, to a general store, to a cabin home, the Troy Historic Village is like a history book come to life.
“We have preserved some of the oldest structures in Troy…homes, church, small businesses…things like that," Peters said. "And with them all in one location, we can really utilize them in a special way.”
Executive Director Jen Peters said the five-acre museum is filled with stories and artifacts of Troy throughout the 1800s and 1900s. That includes what's known as the 1832 Caswell House, which tells the story of a man who moved to Troy Township in the 1820s.
“That was being threatened in 1968 to be torn down," Peters said. "And so that was the Troy Historical Society’s first project, was to raise funds to bring that here, and to restore that house.”
She said over the course of a year, 12,000 kids, teachers, and chaperons participate in their field trip programs, and an additional 12,000 people take part in their history talks.
“I’ve been bringing students here for the last 13 years," said Theresa Schwartz.
Schwartz teaches fifth grade at Wass Elementary. Born and raised in Troy, she said she appreciates the city's commitment to teaching the next generation.
“Some of the houses were even on the street, where I was raised…and they brought it here to the village," Theresa said. "So it’s exciting to visit and see it all the time.”
Peters explained what it's been like for the museum in the midst of a government shutdown.
“There’s no direct impact, but there’s a lot of indirect things that are a little worrying," she said.
With federal funding disappearing, she said it's been difficult to access grants for programming, but she said they'll be able to get through a couple more years.
“We have an endowment, we have great donors, we’ve got some reserves," Peters said. "But how many years can we do that? And if the government is going to shut down year and year, what’s going to happen there?”
In the meantime, the museum is working on expanding its collection of stories. Soon, the museum will be launching a program called 'Why Troy?' and is inviting people to tell their story of why they moved here and what opportunities they had. That's expected to start in the winter.
