More details learned about


Dr, Joseph Plaud, founder of FDR Museum, speaks about the handprints of Roosevelt and his wife behind him. Reminder Publications photo by G. Michael Dobbs

By G. Michael Dobbs, Managing Editor

CHICOPEE A trip to the current home of the Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) American Heritage Center, Inc. in Worcester on Thursday revealed several points: the depth of the impressive collection of FDR material and more details on the museum's move to Chicopee.

Members of the Board of Aldermen, civic, business and educational leaders accompanied Mayor Michael Bissonnette to Worcester's Union Station to meet the owner of the collection and founder of the museum, Dr. Joseph Plaud and to see the museum.

Bissonnette told The Chicopee Herald the museum has targeted March 2008 as its opening day in the former main library building in downtown. The city will retain ownership of the building and the museum has made a commitment to pay $25,000 annually in rent twice what it currently pays over a 10-year period.

The city will prepare the first floor of the library building to house the first stage of the museum. This initial renovation will include cosmetic changes such as flooring and painting and major issues including the soundness of the roof; that the building's cooling system works well; and fulfilling handicapped accessibility standards.

The mayor does not have an estimate for these renovations as yet nor did he offer a funding source for them. He did say the complete renovation for the building could fall within a range of $500,000 to $2 million.

Bissonnette said he has had initial conversations with Congressman Richard Neal and Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin about funding sources, but added that much of the building's renovation will be left up to the museum itself.

Plaud said his intentions are to have expanded hours at the Chicopee site. The museum is currently open Wednesday though Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. He would like to maintain the free admission policy he has now as well.

The new museum would be a center for historians researching FDR and the 1930s and '40s, Plaud said. The museum's archives would be extensive providing access to documents Plaud has in storage.

And the collection is growing. Plaud said the family of the photographer who served as FDR's official photographer from 1924 until his death in 1945 will be donating one of the largest collections of Roosevelt photographs in existence to the museum.

The display cases at the museum features original letters and documents ranging from a textbook FDR had in 1899 to notes in his own hand that add insight to key moments in American history.

There are a number of personal effects for both FDR and his wide Eleanor including one of FDR's famous grey fedora hats, a cane, his distinctive eyeglasses and the watch he was wearing when he died. One of Eleanor's purses is exhibited as well as her Bloomingdale's credit card.

Dr. James Mullen, president of Elms College, was "very impressed" with the museum and with the educational opportunities it presents for his student. Besides Elms students having the ability to do research from primary sources, Mullen said the collection presents partnership possibilities between the college and the public school system.

Alderman George Moreau said he believes whatever the city's investment to make sure the museum comes to Chicopee, the sum would be "an investment well spent."