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2019 ANNUAL REPORT

genesee country v illage & museum

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board of trustees As of December 31, 2019

Helen H. BerkeleyTerryl S. Butwid

Ashley E. ChampionJonathan W. Chase

Gina G. GiesePeter M. Greendyke

Megan HenryA. Thomas Hildebrandt

Grant HolcombScott R. IngallsKevin D. KinneyCynthia S. Kolko

Michael L. McDougallJoseph Schaal

William L. ShawGary Squires

Gayle A. G. StilesScott M. TurnerPatricia UttaroAndrew J. Villa

Elizabeth A. WehleMichael R. Whelan

James J. Winebrake, Ph.D.

trustees emeritiJanice G. Ashley

William Balderston, IIIJean Chandler

Sherman Farnham, Jr.John L. Garrett

Clifford W. Smith, Jr., Ph.D.Sue S. Stewart

Susan van der StrichtD.H.S. Wehle, Ph.D.Philip K. Wehrheim

Janet S. Welch

administrative staffElizabeth A. Wehle President & CEOStacy L. Kehrer

Chief Financial OfficerAnn C. Frederick

Senior Director of Visitor ServicesBrian L. Nagel

Senior Director of InterpretationKara E. B. Calder

Senior Director of ProgramsPeter A. Wisbey

Curator of CollectionsScott W. Buckingham Director of Operations

Jennifer M. Haines Director of EducationAlison C. MacKenzie

Director of DevelopmentCheryl A. Marshall

Director of Membership & SponsorshipAdam P. Henne

Director of Nature CenterSara O. Tone

Director of Tourism & Event Sales

our mission

our vision

our values

Through immersive experiences, we enrich life today by connecting people with history, art, and nature.

Guided by our values, we will be a nationally recognized destination. We will operate with integrity, creativity, and inclusivity to be a resource for the communities we serve and a fulfilling place to work and volunteer. We will expand our impact and inspire excitement and curiosity in all of our audiences.

Authenticity, Collaboration, Exploration, Inclusivity, Responsibility, & Stewardship

We are pleased to share that 2019 was a successful year for Genesee Country Village & Museum, thanks to strong attendance and fundraising, a variety of new programs, and great community partnerships. Throughout the year, the Board, staff, and volunteers focused their energies on implementing our strategic plan, started in 2018, and fulfilling our mission, vision, and values, outlined to the left. We hope that you saw the results of all of this work when you were one of the more than 98,000 people from throughout the world who visited us.

On the programming side, GCV&M hosted special events that are visitor favorites like the Maple Sugar Festival and Agricultural Fair, and also added new ones like A Novel Weekend. We launched a diversity and inclusion initiative, designed to add a variety of different stories to our daily interpretation and special events in order to share more of our region’s 19th-century history and make a broader range of visitors feel that what the Museum does is relevant and welcoming. This initiative will continue into the future and is a key part of our strategic plan.

In the Historic Village, we continued restoration work on many buildings and completed the moving of the Print Office and the opening of a Telegraph Office. The John L. Wehle Gallery hosted two exhibits; visitors enjoyed hands-on art activities about dogs and even got to try on Victorian clothing. The Nature Center expanded its maple production program and welcomed almost 500 summer campers.

Our initiatives did not stop on-site though. GCV&M continued our partnership with the Rochester Institute of Technology on a variety of projects, and we hosted four

of their student interns. We participated in community outreach programs from Buffalo to Sharon Springs (home of Beekman 1802!) to connect even more people with the history, art, and nature of our region.

This long list of accomplishments is only possible thanks to the hard work of you, our wonderful community of staff, trustees, donors, volunteers, members, and friends. Thank you for your support, visits, and love of the Museum.

As we move through 2020, we know that this will be a difficult year for all of us. While it will not be easy to deal with the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that Genesee Country Village & Museum is in a strong position thanks to you.

president & board chair

Photograph by Jess Kamens Photography

William L. ShawChair, Board of Trustees

Elizabeth A. Wehle President & CEO

letter from the

Cover credits: Joann Long and Loyd Heath

Photo credit: Jim Montanus

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highlights from 2019

2019 facts & figures

Historic Village In 2019, the Historic Village saw one of the most dramatic changes to its landscape in over a decade. After more than 40 years anchoring the corner of Plank Road and Hill Street, the Print Office (and all its equipment) moved down the lane to new quarters next to the Blacksmith Shop. The building now housing the new Print Office had been closed for years due to structural issues. A new sill, basement support, and drainage allowed it to be guest-ready again.

Next came the delicate work of dismantling, cleaning, and reassembling the 1850s Washington printing press. Supervised by printing technology expert Amelia Hugill-Fontanel, Associate Curator at the Cary Graphic Arts Collection at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), we were successful. With the addition of a ramp and a wider doorway, the new Print Office is now open to visitors. And the vacated building by the Village Square is now a Telegraph Office! GCV&M is exhibiting, for the first time, the importance of this mode of communication to our local area. We thank The Charles Fund, Inc. for their support of this massive project.

Our Preservation Carpentry crew was busy with roofing and significant repairs to the MacArthur and Humphrey Houses, as well as the Land Office. Contractors have roofed the Shaker Trustees’ Building and painted six other structures in the Village.

Wehle Gallery In 2019, we bid a fond farewell to curator Patricia Tice, who retired after 14 years of artistry, hard work, and the creation of 12 incredible exhibitions. Patricia oversaw the Gallery’s renovation into an environmentally friendly building and the acquisition of more than 4,500 items, including the Susan Greene Costume Collection. In 2019, the Gallery exhibited two shows: Working Like a Dog was up for its second year and Victoria’s Closet: Fashions of the 1850s wowed visitors as the sequel to our previous costume exhibit.

Nature Center Our Nature Center had one of its busiest and most exciting years ever. In the Museum’s own sugarbush (a stand of sugar maple trees used for syrup), Nature Center staff ran 100 buckets and hundreds of yards of tubing between more than 400 taps. We collected approximately 1,500 gallons of sap, which yielded 32 gallons of GCV&M’s own maple

• 98,295 total visitors – our highest attendance in more than six years!

• 185 tour operators met with to pitch GCV&M as a destination and travel stop

• 17,432 students visited onsite for field trips

• 169 Moveable Museum programs at 88 sites educating and entertaining an additional 3,931 students and adults

• 6 college interns helped our staff from programs at RIT, Syracuse, and Cooperstown

• 180 members who have been with us for 25+ years and 575 members who crossed the 5-year mark. Thank you!

• 15 new corporate members helped support our events and our operations

• 8 new Founder’s Circle members became leaders and friends to the Museum

• $144,333 in Whirl revenue – our most successful event ever

• 33,920 servings created at our Whistle Stop Kitchen for tastings of historic food and drink

• 71 themed tours and gatherings provided in our Historic Village

• 14,270 hours contributed by our amazing volunteers with 11 new onboarded and 34 crossing the 100+ hour mark

• 3,000 new Facebook followers joined us this year

• 40 new American citizens naturalized at our Town Hall on Independence Day

• 30+ wedding and event rentals hosted onsite – including a fairy-themed birthday party

• 11 historic dinner parties at Hosmer’s Inn and MacKay House

• Our animals ate: - 1,200 bales of purchased

hay and 3 acres’ worth of GCV&M hay

- 9 acres of pasture - 8,500 lbs of grain PLUS

the grain GCV&M’s fields produce

• Our oxen created 25-30 tons of recoverable manure for compost production!

“My family LOVES Genesee Country Village & Museum!! This museum

transcends time and generations, appealing to all ages. Educational and fun!”

– Pam, via Facebook

Photo credits: (1) GCV&M staff, (2) GCV&M Staff, (3) Joann Long, (4) Melody Burri, (5) GCV&M Staff

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syrup. We bottled and sold our syrup for the first time! Besides syrup, our staff also learned how to make maple cream, maple candy, and many other tasty treats. We plan to expand to 500 taps in the next few years.

Interpretation Our Interpretation staff demonstrated more than 70 new “receipts” (historical recipes) in the Village’s historical kitchens. Our bakers introduced 13 new Confectionery items, from new springerle flavors to American Heritage Chocolate ice cream and cocoa shell tea. Our Supervisor of Kitchens and Pantries attended a “sugarwork” workshop in Toronto and came back with some amazing new skills. And our Manager of Community Lifeways attended the Marshfield School of Weaving in Vermont to learn about natural dyeing. She came back to establish GCV&M’s first authentic historical indigo dye vat at Kieffer House. In fact, our Fiber Arts theme week in May showcased 45 different fiber arts activities, such as quilting and tape weaving. And if you are interested in historic dining, you may have noticed that in 2019 we introduced springtime MacKay Family Suppers. Complete with new Georgian-era service

“We learned a lot […] the whole thing really couldn’t have been any better! I have been thinking about it every day since we came

back. I really wish GCV was closer to where we live [Michigan]!” – Laurie & Cathryn,

mother & daughter cooking experience

photography, still-life arrangement, and portraiture in this report, on our social media platforms, and on our print materials.

GCV&M exchanged member admission privileges with the George Eastman Museum (GEM) for the week of George Eastman’s birthday. 900 visitors celebrated at his Boyhood Home on July 12 with his favorite lemon cake while Kathy Connor, curator of the George Eastman Legacy Collection, spoke about Eastman’s life in this building and its move to Mumford. GCV&M’s bakers also contributed a second gingerbread house to the GEM’s Sweet Creations annual holiday exhibit. “Yuletide at the Hyde House” generated the highest silent auction bid in the history of their exhibit.

GCV&M’s partnership with RIT continues to expand. The Museum participated in the school’s annual creativity and innovation festival, Imagine RIT, for the third time, and was glad for the four hardworking interns assisting our Marketing and Curatorial departments throughout the year. RIT alum and longtime GCV&M supporter Philip Wehrheim, with his wife Anne, further solidified the indispensable partnership between the Museum and the school with a $1.3 million gift. One million of the donation endowed the partnership, funding research projects and providing stipends for faculty and students to work collaboratively with GCV&M staff. The remaining $300,000 will establish and maintain exhibit space at RIT to showcase the results of this collaborative work. For instance, several Multidisciplinary Senior Design students recently created a preservation and maintenance tracking system, streamlining all the projects necessary to maintain our 600-acre campus of historical and modern buildings.

Capital Improvements & Visitor Services If you spend time at the Museum, you may have noticed a variety of capital improvements. We remodeled the Depot and East Restrooms, thanks to the Davenport-Hatch Foundation’s support; painted the Banquet and Conference Center Lounge; and switched from copper to fiber optic cable internet service, increasing our bandwidth by 22mb.

Our Visitor Services department worked with our Historic Village craftspeople to supply the Flint Hill Store with more

style and seasonal menu, our diners relaxed with dessert on MacKay’s beautiful porch.

Community Partnerships GCV&M has continued to increase our media coverage and strengthen our community partnerships. We had fun on programs like WUHF/FOX Rochester’s “Soul Plates” and WHAM Radio’s “Food & Wine Show” with Paul Guglielmo. Did you see our magazine spreads in Sweet Paul, (585), Antiques and Fine Art, and Early American Life? We also worked with Letchworth Gateway Villages, ROC Niagara, Visit Rochester, and I LOVE NY to host community leaders and tour operators. Our staff pitched GCV&M and the Rochester region as a great destination for international and domestic tour groups. Museum staff even visited the Beekman 1802 Harvest Festival in Sharon Springs, NY and introduced GCV&M to 18,000 new neighbors!

One of our newest partnerships is with the Montanus Photography Group. More than 20 amateur photographers allow the Museum exclusive access to their images, while they hone their skills onsite. You can see their action

Photo credits: (1) Joann Long, (2) GCV&M Staff, (3) Chris Carey, (4) John Kucko, (5) Melody Burri, (6) A. Sue Weisler

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hand-crafted items. The store is displaying new items from our potters, vintage signs created at our Print Office, yarn, brooms, tin ornaments, ironwork from our blacksmith, and Whistle Stop treats.

Education & Special Events Here at GCV&M, we love to educate and connect people. In 2019, the Museum hosted its first-ever Workshop Week, and held its most successful Domestic Skills Symposium yet. Our Education Department offered nine more classes for adults, teens, and kids than in 2018, and welcomed 117 more class participants. Summer campers learned and played with us over six weeks through 47 classes, five of which were brand new. GCV&M also offered Spring Break Camp classes again, and expanded our Nature Sunday programming.

GCV&M is proud of our robust schedule of events, daily educational opportunities, and unique experiences in every area of our site. In 2019, our Maple Sugar Festival broke its attendance record for the second year running, and our History on Tap program grew by half. Our annual Antique Show & Sale expanded to include 20th-century collectibles, and at our Agricultural Fair & Fall Festival, former U.S. Navy cook Paul Tewksbury unseated Wegmans chef and three-year Cast Iron Chef winner Gary Giusti. The Museum’s Celtic Faire saw such a dramatic increase in attendance that we hope to expand the Faire to two full days. Did you come

to our new August event, A Novel Weekend? An Alice in Wonderland-themed weekend full of zany tea parties and croquet, this celebration of 19th-century author Lewis Carroll was more fun than an unbirthday!

Diversity & Inclusion Initiative The Museum began a new diversity and inclusion initiative that will drive our programming, staff training, and recruitment practices now and into the future. In 2019, we added American Sign Language and mobility-concerns tours to several of our most popular events, and hosted visitors from the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. One of GCV&M’s oldest events, our Civil War Re-enactment and Encampment, focused on more diverse perspectives including speeches by a Frederick Douglass re-enactor and the interpretation of African-American family life at our Pioneer Farm. Visitors also learned about the role of Canadians in the war, and education for the disenfranchised. Eastman’s Boyhood Home included interpretation of the anti-slavery movement: an anti-slavery quilt was in progress all season, and the dining room table was set for an anti-slavery society meeting. Our Yuletide in the Country tour focused on immigrant stories and earned rave reviews for its accurate content, community collaboration, and heartwarming atmosphere. We know we must do more of this work, and strive to do our best for our community.

Richard C. Fox The Museum lost a long-time friend and Board member on December 4, 2019 when Richard C. “Dick” Fox passed away. Dick was a Rochester business owner who joined the GCV&M Board in 1995, and in 2000, became the first Board chair outside of the Wehle family – a position that he held for more than seven years. During that time, he helped the Museum to modernize, mature, grow, and thrive. He devoted countless hours to meetings, helping staff, co-chairing our first comprehensive fundraising campaign, and attending events with his wife Jodie. His impact can still be felt in large and small ways, and we are forever grateful to him for his devotion to the organization.

Richard A. Ash (Not pictured) Memorialized in GCV&M’s 2018 Annual Report, please turn to page 11 to see Dick’s memorial gifts.

meet our newest board members

in memoriam

Scott Ingalls To hear Scott tell it, he was practically born into the construction industry. Upon receiving his AAS in Civil Engineering Technology, Scott began his nearly 40-year career and relationship with the family of companies he leads today as the President of Power & Construction Group, Inc., and Executive Chairman of Livingston Associates, Inc., formerly chaired by Museum Board member Dick Ash, who passed in January of 2019. Scott is an avid golfer and fisherman, and treasures his family.

Joseph Schaal With degrees in business and industrial engineering from Cornell University, and further study in information systems at the University of Rochester, Joe brings 30 years of information technology, management, and business experience to his position as the Director of IT at FIFCO USA (formerly North American Breweries). His varied hobbies reach from cycling to astronomy, and Joe’s wife Debbie and their three daughters make the Schaal household a wonderful place.

Andrew Villa An active member of the Rochester business community, Andy’s initial academic interest in political science and economics has culminated in his becoming the founder and CEO of his own insurance specialty firm, 1789 Wealth Strategies, LLC, as well as a principal at Integro Insurance Brokerage Services, LLC. Always up for a round of golf or a conversation about his dogs, Andy actually started his involvement with GCV&M as a volunteer in our Blacksmith Shop!

Photo credits: (1) Joann Long, (2) Melody Burri, (3) Diane Audrey Dattalo

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operating income

operating expenses

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treasurer’s report

Summarized Statement of Financial Position through 12/31/19

Peter M. Greendyke, CPATreasurer

16% management & general

77% programs

7% fundraising

Genesee Country Village & Museum had a successful 2019 thanks to our many supporters and extensive collaboration between the Museum’s Board and staff members. We continue to develop new and varied programming to attract diverse audiences and increase visitation and add additional revenue sources while streamlining expenses. We are also exploring a variety of other longer-term strategies to increase our financial sustainability.

Copies of the Museum’s financial statements, audited by Bonadio & Co., LLP are available (without charge) from the Chief Financial Officer.

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ASSETSCash & Cash Equivalents $448,647

Inventories & Prepaids $148,481

Receivables $38,291

OTHER NONCURRENT ASSETS Property & Equipment, net $11,668,901

Investments $6,651,838

Investments - Collections Fund $4,090,521

total assets $23,046,679LIABILITIESAccounts Payable $123,879

Line of Credit -

Contract Liability $68,629

Accrued Liabilities $151,160

Total Liabilities $343,668

NET ASSETSWithout Donor RestrictionsOperating $2,807,724

Quasi-Endowment $4,859,693

Collections Fund $13,080,797

Total Without Donor Restrictions $20,748,214With Donor RestrictionsTemporarily Restricted $210,402

Permanently Restricted $1,744,395

Total With Donor Restrictions $1,954,797Total Net Assets $22,703,011

total liabilities & net assets $23,046,679

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$132

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,227

In Memory of Claire AllenPeter & Ruth Kristal

In Memory of James C. AltemusDale & Susan AushermanBloomfield Garden ClubJohn BoydStephen CollwardVeronica ConradPatrick & Kristina CrowleyDavid & Judy DeVivoKaliph HayesGeorge & Sarah KittredgeJoan MerkelLarry & Donna MessnerKathy MonradWalter & Terry NewcombJames & Mary NicollRonald & Sandra ParrishBetsy & George Petty, Jr. Beverley F. ReevesAnne M. RodgersNancy SmithMerle & Mary Anne StrongPaul & Nicki TiffanyMichael & Melody WallmanWestern New York Antique Tool Collectors AssociationMary Ann Zipfel

In Memory of Richard A. AshAnonymousJoAnn AckersonAmerican Equipment, LLCAmerican Rock Salt Company, LLCRobert & Anne BarrettNancy W. BolgerBuckingham Properties, LLCTerryl S. & C. Terence ButwidDorothy CauwelsRobert & Susan ChanStephanie CiminoDavid & Fay ConnellyMatthew CookJudith D’HontJoanne DayWilliam Eggers & Deborah McLeanJohn & Lindsay GarrettKen GeerRonald & Marcia HaleCorinne & Christopher HeschkeA. Thomas & Nan R. HildebrandtJanice Iati, P.C.

V. Craig & Patricia A. JohnsonKennedy FarmsTodd & Wendy KosakowskiJon & Nicole LanseDavid & Diane Lazzar Livingston Associates, Inc. Livingston County Town Highway Superintendents AssociationSteven & Bonnie MacLeodJoseph & Wendy MauriciCarl T. & Susan M. McQuillenNanci MierschLinda MitchellMonroe Tractor & Implement Co., Inc.Kimberly MorganBernie & Kim MorseAnthony NordlandMark & Becky NickelPainters Union Local #150Gregory C. & Christine M. PapkeRLI Insurance Co.James & Sally RobbRose & Kiernan Charitable Foundation, Inc.John & Joan RuppersbergerSusan Sears & James D’AmicoWilliam & Lucia ShawTyna SlocumMary SlowigRalph & Nancy StrongScott & Deborah StrongRonald SymondsT.J. Marquart & Sons, Inc.John TaylorAdam & Lindsay ThaineTompkins Bank of Castile and Tompkins Financial CenterTurner Underground Installations, Inc.Ann C. VitaleMark & Erin VitaleJean WeaverElizabeth A. WehleWestern ConcreteWilliam & Carol WetherwaxMichael R. Whelan & Josephine V. GumaerMarcia Wiesenberg

In Memory of Anne S. BuckinghamElizabeth A. WehlePatricia H. Wehle

In Memory of Babe & Winston ButwidJay & Teresa Holmes

In Memory of Paul “Bud” IngallsLivingston Associates, Inc.

In Honor of Terryl S. & C. Terence Butwid and Michael R. Whelan & Josephine V. GumaerThe Garrett Family Fund through Vanguard Charitable

In Memory of Patricia MeadJames & Ruby FooteGail M. Fowler & Sue Ann RaymondDrusilla Hart

In Memory of Robert PerryGenesee Country Antique Dealers Association

In Memory of William H. SchwierThe Estate of Audrey Patricia Schwier

In Memory of Janice WolferJill BaileyMatthew & Diane BenzieBrian Brown & Judy Fuller-BrownRay & Debbie DunlevySharon Hagens & FamilyJonathan MartizMyrtle MerrittRenee O’LearyEileen OlinDouglas & Ardell OlinBeverley F. ReevesStuart & Anne SmartRaymond & Debora TamblinDean & Anne WellsCurtis & Virginia Winter

In Honor of Clifford W. Smith, Jr.Lawrence & Susan Halpern

In Honor of Gayle A. G. & Robert StilesJohn & Susan Gillan

In Honor of Patricia TiceSusan W. Greene

In Honor of Andrew VillaMatthew & Angela Vahue

tribute gifts January 1 to December 31, 2019*

Photo credits: (1) Beth Kingston, (2) Joann Long, (3) Joann Long

* Memorial gifts for Richard C. Fox will appear in our 2020 Annual Report

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functional expenses

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Genesee Country Village & Museum1410 Flint Hill RoadMumford, NY 14511

www.gcv.org