[vc_row full_width=”” parallax=”” parallax_image=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Many people don’t know the location of the Washington County Museum; some don’t know that it exists at all. In fact, when he asked for a show of hands from those who had visited the museum, only one person raised her hand. Mark Harmon, executive director of WCM wants to change that. In 2015, after 25 years of museum work in the Chicago area, Mr. Harmon and his wife moved to Oregon. When people ask what brought him here, he replies, “the weather.” This might seem a strange response, but Mark says that he was happy to leave behind the cold, snow, and wind of Chicago for rainy Portland.
The WCM collection was started in the early 1930’s with a gift from brother and sister, Albert and Edyth Tozier, who donated family artifacts, documents, and farm implements. This was before the museum existed, and so a deal was struck with the local historical society to house the artifacts in the Washington County Courthouse. Later, when additional gifts outgrew the space, the museum collection was moved to the library basement, then to Shute Park Hall. In 1956, WCM was incorporated and, in the early 1960’s, purchased the Heidel House and converted it to a museum. As the museum and county continued to grow, a plan was hatched for a museum building to be constructed on the PCC Rock Creek campus. This was the first time the WCM constructed a building as a museum instead of taking over an existing space. The new WCM building opened in 1983 and by the year 2000 had again outgrown its square footage. Fast forward to 2015 when the WCM moved its collection to the Civic Center in Downtown Hillsboro. Museum archives and administrative offices remain at the Rock Creek facility.
The WCM has 4 major activities: research, education, exhibitions, and special events. The museum boasts a collection of some 30,000 photos and about 40,000 documents. It also has a Mobile Museum that travels to schools in support of its educational mission. Special events and exhibits serve to help people learn about and celebrate the museum and to raise money for its support. The museum is currently working on an exhibit of the timber industry. The WCM is interested in diversifying its board of directors to include residents of cities other than Beaverton and Hillsboro. Tigard applicants are welcome (hint, hint).
Mark Harmon is a graduate of the University of Akron where he earned a BA and MA in History with an emphasis on Public History. This year, Mark will celebrate 30 years in the museum profession. He has been a director for most of those years working in local history for both government agencies and non-profits, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]