Sheaffer Pen board plans museum grand re-opening

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BY PCC STAFF

FORT MADISON – The newly formed Board of Directors of the Sheaffer Pen Museum are happy to announce the re-opening of its exhibits in the original location at 627 Avenue G.

The museum closed last year due to concerns about the uncertain fate of the company archives which had been on loan from A.T. Cross, the owner of Sheaffer. The vast collection consists of a century’s worth of information, history and products produced by the company which was founded in Fort Madison by a local jeweler, Walter A. Sheaffer in 1913.

“We were thrilled that the Cross company agreed to donate virtually all of the company archives to the museum, allowing us to keep this part of Fort Madison’s rich history in our town indefinitely. Once it was determined that the collection would stay put, we were able to secure funding through grants and other financial pledges, making the re-opening possible,” said Tim Gobble, Executive Director, Fort Madison Partners and newly elected Sheaffer Pen Museum Board President.

“Shortly thereafter, a group of volunteers went to work developing ideas to organize the opening, which is happening now,” Gobble added. A Grand Re-opening event is planned in conjunction with Fort Madison’s popular Rodeo Weekend at 9:00 AM Friday, September 6.

Plans are underway for both new and refreshed exhibits, as well as never before seen video footage from the company archives. A digital communications and social media strategy will be launched in the coming weeks to create awareness about the museum’s re-opening and the history of the pen industry contained within it.

The museum’s regular hours are 10:00 – 2:00 Monday, Wednesday and Friday or by appointment for larger groups.

Anyone interested in volunteering to support this important community effort is encouraged to contact the museum at (319) 372-1674 or SheafferPenMuseum@gmail.com or via the website, sheafferpenmusuem.org. Former Sheaffer employees that have a working knowledge of the pens themselves, or how they were assembled, are highly encouraged to reach out.

fort madison, grand re-opening, Pen City Current, Sheaffer Pen, Volunteers

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