Somerville Museum Building Fund

Q&A: 

THE EXHIBITIONS ARE LOCATED ON THE FIRST LEVEL.  WHY IS AN ELEVATOR TO ALL LEVELS OF THE MUSEUM REQUIRED?

In the Fall of 2011, the Museum Board undertook a survey of the building and grounds to determine what needed to be done to bring the Museum into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  From that information, the Museum’s architect, Richard Graf, created plans for a new entryway on Westwood Road that included a wheel chair lift and attractive portico. This design was universally admired; however, it did not meet the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (MAAB) requirements for making the Museum fully accessible.  In 2014, the MAAB directed the Trustees to make all three floors of the building accessible to the public, including volunteers. (The Museum was aided by over 80 volunteers last year.) To allow full access to all requires an elevator.