In this week’s update: Additional tax credits allocated to the Swedish Pavilion, Harvest of Giving $50K goal, Smoky Valley Community Foundation Match Month, and more!
In this update, keep up to date on what staff and volunteers at the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum are working on to lift up the history of Lindsborg and the surrounding region. This weekly update both looks back at what happened and looks ahead at what’s coming.
For November 10-16, 2025:
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The big news this week is that we have been allocated an additional $7,300 under our Community Service Program tax credits grant, going to repair the 1904 World’s Fair Swedish Pavilion!This opened up another $10,428.57 in NEW donation capacity to “Raise the Roof” with a more durable and historically accurate roof on the historic 121-year-old structure.What’s more, qualified taxpayers who give at least $250 and who file a Kansas state tax return can get 70% of their donation BACK as a fully refundable tax credit!This opportunity has been VERY popular – already the remaining capacity is down to $7,978.57 as we fulfill several requests that were sitting on a waiting list. (Adam worked last week to submit three donations to the state for this contributors to receive their documentation.)Don’t let the opportunity pass you by! Call us at 785-227-3595 or email at oldmillmuseum@gmail.com for more details.
Overall, this opportunity has raised $243,191.15 for repairs and improvements to the Pavilion.
Contributions under the grant paid for critical structural repairs (costing $151,500), allowing us to safely reopen the Pavilion to the public in summer 2025. We are also about halfway toward the funds we will need under the “Raise the Roof” campaign to repair the Pavilion’s roof in a more durable and historically accurate way.
If you would like to help with Raise the Roof, you can learn more at www.oldmillmuseum.org/raise-the-roof.
We have several recognition reward levels available: These include recognition on our website and an invitation to a special VIP event once all of the funds needed for the roof (at $100 or more) and opportunities to have a “roof tile” with custom wording added to a permanent honor wall (at $1,000 or more)!
- Ongoing we have out Harvest of Giving 2025 year-end fundraising event. Our topline goal is $50,000 in unrestricted donations to keep the museum lights on and the doors open in 2026. We are also seeking museum memberships and donations to “Raise the Roof” on the Swedish Pavilion as a part of Harvest of Giving. Learn more and make your charitable donation today at www.oldmillmuseum.org/harvest-of-giving.
- Another great opportunity available right now is the Smoky Valley Community Foundation Match Month, running through December 5!
Donations made to the museum’s endowment fund will be matched up to 50% thanks to a $100,000 Patterson Family Foundation grant to support the match month effort.
To donate under this opportunity…
Mail to: SVCF, PO Box 84, Lindsborg, KS 67456 (enclose your check along with the form HERE)
or Give Online: www.smokyvalleycf.org (credit card payment only)
Thank you!
- Sponsorship opportunities for Millfest 2026 are now open and available!
Scheduled next year for Saturday, May 2, this is the one time annually that tours of the 1898 Old Mill IN OPERATION are available! The festival also includes, music, entertainment, arts & crafts, antique tractor show, games, demonstrations and face painting!
Giving levels to sponsor run from as little as $25 to get your name in the program to $5,000 or more to secure topline “Brought to you by…” overall event sponsorship. You can also choose to direct your donation to specific Millfest attractions, including face painting, tractor show, Old Mill tours, or music performances! See full details including how to arrange your sponsorship with the forms included below. We also sent out these giving forms to many area businesses and organizations. Staff is also in discussions with potential music entertainment.
- We have finalized our program for Heritage Christmas 2025! See the full lineup below, and we look forward to having you here on Saturday, December 13! Poster flyers were distributed last week to Lindsborg businesses. Did we miss you? Please let us know and we’ll be glad to bring you one.
- We are very pleased to announce that we received a $20,000 grant from the Coughenour Trust to continue and enhance Millfest (May 2) and Millfest for Kids (May 1)! This will help us to make Millfest 2026 one of the best museum festivals yet!
- We are excited to offer the first “Discover Your Past” Virtual Genealogy Workshop, set for Saturday, January 31, 2026!
Rather than the usual focus on Swedish genealogy research resources, this time the sessions will be able to apply to ANY genealogy or family research, regardless of country background! Museum members register with a $20 discount. We hope you can join us!
- Aubrey will be presenting to Lindsborg City Council tonight (Monday, November 17) with year-end updates. Any members of the public who can come to lend your voice to support of the museum would be very much appreciated!
- Last Friday, Adam gave Old Mill tours to about 40 total students and adults with the Palmyra Homeschool group.
- We made the down payment to bring in the “A Day with the Birds” traveling exhibit for early next year.
- The museum board of directors met last Thursday.
- Aubrey ordered in new gift shop inventory for the museum gift shop for the upcoming holiday season.
- Adam processed one new museum membership last week! Secure your membership at www.oldmillmuseum.org/members!
- Lenora met for coffee with ladies at Sunflower Terrace as part of ongoing community outreach.
- Lenora is worked on final reports for the museum’s $250,000 SPRINT Grant. They were submitted last Thursday.
- Lenora and Tim (on the museum board) presented last Tuesday to the Smoky Valley Historical Association on the Historic Image Database project.
- Lenora catalogued several new artifact donations.
- Lenora continued indexing work under the museum’s agreement with ArkivDigital.
- Tyler continued working on scanning historic publications.
Thank you to our weekly volunteers!
Last week, volunteers included Pete Peterson, Karmon Almquist, Jerry Hammerton, Brad Swan, Julie-Ann Neywick, Teagen Miller and Kylan Lindquist! Work included fixing a mill balcony railing, cleaning up in the Mill, painting balusters on the front porch, stuffing envelopes for mailing, canvassing for Millfest sponsors, and scanning archive images!