Are you spending the off season or Winter on Kelleys Island? Are you looking for a way to be involved with the amazing history and community here? The Kelleys Island Historical Association has opportunities for you to participate in everything from creating spread sheets for historical artifacts, to helping to organize and clean its historical collection. The Historical Association Board (Jackie Polofka, Chad Waffen, Theresa Behrends, Lisa Lotito and Michael Beatty, Janet Killam) welcome your active participation in helping to maintain the goals of the Historical Association in all its ventures.
Curator, Carmen Smith, has begun an immense project of cleaning and organizing the collection. Last winter, work was completed to protect the archived collections with a climatically controlled storage room for archived artifacts. Work continues with the needed care of and organization of artifacts in the Museums collection. YOU CAN HELP! Contact Carmen at conservation@kelleysislandhistorical.org or at 419-746-2399.
The Museum Gift Shop and Museum is managed by Justiina Loveless. She invites you to become part of the Museum Volunteer group who work at the Museum during seasonal hours. Reduced Seasonal hours will continue until (tentatively) mid-October. A new volunteer receives excellent guidance from a seasoned volunteer. Greeting and welcoming visitors, along with checking out gift shop items and accepting money for museum admittance is part of your experience.
Volunteers receive perks such as 30% off in the Museum gift shop and an appreciation party at the end of the season (this year was held at The Crooked Tree Winery!). While volunteering at the museum you can explore the exhibits and become more familiar with the rich Island History. Resource books are available for you to peruse and to follow an interest in the history of the island that you may have. Don’t worry if you have limited knowledge! The books and exhibits can easily be referred to, or you can reach out to another person or inform the questioning visitor that you could get back to them! Typical fun hours are from 12-2, or 2-4, or 12-4. To be open daily is the goal, but without enough volunteers, the museum has had to shorten its operating hours this past 2025 season. Help the Museum OPEN 7 days a week in 2026! Volunteer and experience the benefits of learning the history and having fun with this valued group in our community.
The Parsonage House Resale Shop and Sis’s Cottage are part of the Museum Campus next to the German Reformed Church. The Parsonage House Resale Shop has become a valued resource to the Kelleys Island Community, providing necessary (and sometimes fanciful) items for the Islanders and visitors, without having to leave the island! Items no longer valued or needed can be donated (following donation guidelines), reducing the need for items to be hauled off the island, AND becoming a needed item or resource for the next person! Volunteers are needed in this exciting venture! Doing light cleaning tasks or helping to stage items, as well as checking out the treasures that customers have purchased, would be some of your opportunities while volunteering at the Parsonage House! History lives inside the Parsonage House with its original staircase and floors, windows and much more. Have you noticed the Pump at the kitchen sink? Managers, SoniaTaylor and Jodie Smith and assistant Janet Killam WELCOME you to be part of the Parsonage House Resale Shop Team. Be prepared to have fun, or (as we like to say) you’re fired, LOL!
Finally, to highlight The German Reformed Church! The church is open for self-guided tours during seasonal hours of 12-4. You can find the history of the German Reformed Church AND The Parsonage House written on the Ohio Historical Marker at the front of the church. The quaint, stone church is available to rent for your small, private occasion. Imagine an intimate wedding or renewal of wedding vows in this peaceful church. A music recital or book reading is well received by your guests in this acoustic environment. Please contact Justiina Loveless at the Museum, or at kimuseumgiftshop@gmail.com.
The Museum and Gift Shop, The German Reformed Church and The Parsonage House Resale Shop and Sis’s Cottage are ALL under The Kelleys Island Historical Association. The Museum Campus is located at 224-226 Division Street. Please visit us there during Seasonal hours of 12-4, daily, if we have enough staff.
To find out how you can be involved check out the google form on Kelleysislandhistorical.org and FB Kelleys Island History Museum, or stop by during Opening hours. For the Parsonage House Resale Shop, please call Sonia Taylor, 419-202-8083, Jodie Smith 419-350-1082, or Janet Killam, 419-304-3095.
The Kelleys Island Historical Association WELCOME your participation and THANK YOU for your continued support of the preservation of knowledge of the past, the present and passing this knowledge to the future generations on Kelleys Island.
