By Rob Scott
NORTHUMBERLAND -- The money for the Priestley House may not be there, but the support certainly is.
More than 100 people -- Priestley House volunteers and staff, politicians, professors, supporters -- turned out Thursday night to express concern over the possible closure of the historic landmark, the former home of renowned scientist, philosopher and theologian Joseph Priestley.
The state Historical and Museum Commission recommended shuttering the museum in a report released last month because of "low visitation and limited potential for growth."
The announcement inspired considerable public outcry and many of the protesters were given a chance to air their concerns, and ideas on how to save the struggling museum, during a public meeting at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Susquehanna Valley, a church founded on Priestley's views.
Facing a budget crunch, the commission is considering closing six of 23 state-run historic sites. But before any action is taken, Commission Chairman Wayne Spilove said, the board decided to visit communities where closures were proposed "and find out what other options are open to us ... This is not something we are taking lightly."
Members of the crowd proclaimed their admiration for Priestley and his house, and its historic significance, while lobbing ideas at commission officials for how to save it.
Suggestions ranged from transferring the deed for the house to the community, to organizing a fundraiser, to leasing the building to the Joseph Priestley Society in England, Priestley's native land.
Roy Olofson, a retired chemistry professor from Penn State University, pointed to the release of the book "The Invention of Air," written by Steven Johnson -- which tells the story of Joseph Priestley -- as opening a door to many readers who may just be learning about the man who discovered oxygen.
"To close the house just as this new audience discovers Joseph Priestley would be a disaster," Olofson said.
Professors from several Valley universities attended the meeting and touted Priestley's historical significance and the role his home plays in getting that message out.
"I want future generations to be able to see this house, to see that we're honoring a man who valued a liberal arts education," said Ronald Supkowski, assistant professor of chemistry at King's College, Wilkes-Barre. "We can't solve this by July 1, but if you can help us, we can help you."
July 1 marks the beginning of the fiscal year and is the technical deadline for the commission to come up with a plan for its sites.
The deadline means Priestley House supporters are "under the gun of pressure" to at least come up with a short-term plan to take the museum off the commission's chopping block, said Amanda Kessler, president of the Friends of the Joseph Priestley House.
Thursday's meeting was a "call to action," she said. "We've had the luxury of funding from the state, so other groups looked upon us as, They don't need the money.'"
Now those same groups may have to help bail out the museum. Alluding to the various groups who expressed support, Kessler said the solution may lie in forming a consortium of entities -- universities, private businesses, members of the community -- to keep the house alive.
The commission made no promises about what the future may hold for the Priestley House, but Chairman Spilove said, "The energy in this room, I don't see how this place could ever be closed."
During 2007-2008, there were 1,100 paid admissions to the Priestley House, generating $4,125 in revenue. An additional 2,406 recreational and nonpaying visitors were recorded. The operating budget for 2006-2007 was $142,901.
