Dear Friends of the
Niles Historical Society,
As
you know, the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United
States is rapidly approaching. In addition to this important
date, the Niles First Ladies Gowns are approaching the 50th
anniversary of their creation.
In 1976, in order to honor the
Bicentennial, some of the ladies of Niles formed an organization
to recreate the First Ladies Gowns that were in the Smithsonian
collection.
The gowns were all locally made
and sewn after many painstaking drawings, photos and visits
were made to Washington DC in order to ensure absolute accuracy.
After the gowns were made, they
were modeled and displayed in many venues around the area,
and the ladies even went back to Washington DC to model the
dresses there.
The
Niles Historical Society is incredibly fortunate to have been
given most of the First Ladies Gowns. In order to put this
in perspective, Niles is the only community in the Unites
States to have a life sized collection of these gowns, outside
of the Smithsonian National Museum. But as all things age
and deteriorate, the gowns have also, and as they approach
their 50th year, the Niles Historical Society is asking for
your help.
We are asking you to sponsor
a First Ladies Gown. This would entail paying for the cleaning,
mending where necessary, and storage of the dresses. A one-time
fee of $100.00 will ensure your sponsorship of one of the
dresses. When the dress is displayed, as we hope they all
will be between now and 2026, your name and/or your family
name will be prominently displayed with the dress.
As
we work together to preserve the past for the future, we appreciate
your generous support.
Sincerely,
Meredith Elliott
Niles Historical Society
Please
take some time to consider this opportunity. If you are interested,
please fill out the form below, enclose it with your check
and mail it to:
The Niles Historical Society
PO Box 368
Niles, Ohio 44446.
I/we would like to sponsor
a First Ladies Gown.
Enclosed please find a $100.00 donation for the cleaning and
preserving of one of the gowns.
Name_____________________________________________
Address___________________________________________
Phone #___________________________________________
Since the Niles Historical Society
is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 34-1276513) and
no goods or services are provided for donations, your donation
is fully tax deductible.
For more information
call:
Sandy at (330) 652–8329
or
Anna Marie at (330) 856–8274.
Please leave a message and we will contact you.
To
view an electronic file of this form, click here.
Please save/print and share
this form with any family or friends that may want to help
preserve the White House Ladies' gowns.
Create an email and attach the
file or print the form and share.