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CAROGA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION and Museum

Caroga Lake, NY · EIN 222230701 · Form 990EZ · FY2025 · Micro (<$100K) · carogamuseum.org
revenue
$27K
expenses
$18K
net assets
$233K
employees
mission · from form 990

Preservation and interpretation of historical events for the town of Caroga

profile · synthesized from sources

Local history museum preserving and interpreting the heritage of Caroga, New York. Founded in 1977, it operates as a volunteer-driven nonprofit with a campus of historic buildings and exhibits reflecting late 19th to mid-20th century life. The museum offers community events, educational workshops, and rotating exhibits focused on regional history and culture.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Annual Artisan and Vendor Fair
Community event featuring local artisans, food, raffles, and music held each summer
Sherman's Arcade Exhibit
Permanent exhibit in a replica arcade building showcasing artifacts and games from Sherman’s Amusement Park, with interactive elements and historical narratives
Special Exhibits Program
Mounts two rotating exhibits annually that highlight aspects of Caroga’s history, particularly its legacy as a summer destination for artists
Summer Workshops
One-day educational workshops offering hands-on creative activities for participants of all ages
activities · 2 groups

What they do

  • Local History Preservation and Education 1 activity
    • Preservation and interpretation of local history
      Engages in the preservation and interpretation of historical events and life in the town of Caroga from the late 19th to mid-20th century through museum exhibitions, educational programming, and public events.
  • Local History Publishing 1 activity
    • Publication of historical research and community history
      Produces and publishes historical research, including editions of “Caroga: An Adirondack Town Recalls Its Past” and analyses of land patents and historical maps, to document and preserve the community’s heritage.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$27K
Contributions & grants$12K45%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$5922%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$18K
Program expenses
Admin / overhead
Fundraising
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$233K
Cash
Investments
Liabilities
Net assets$233K
2 years on record · 2023–2025 · YoY revenue -41.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

board members · 18
  • Alen Farber — Trustee and web master
  • Anita Allen — Trustee
  • Audrey Smith — Trustee
  • Bob Baker — Trustee
  • Clark Saunders — Trustee
  • Dawn Contino — Trustee
  • Doug Smith — Trustee
  • Dudley Fincke — Trustee
  • Herb Griffin — Trustee
  • Jean Griffin — Trustee
  • Jim Miller — Trustee
  • John Allen — Trustee
  • Judy Smith — Trustee
  • Julia Butler — Trustee
  • Kathy Manning — Trustee
  • Linda Fincke — Trustee
  • Lorie Rosenberg — Trustee
  • Luann Saunders — Trustee
relationships · 12

Who they work with

  • Adirondack Museum of Blue Mountain Lake Partner — Collaborated with the Caroga Historical Museum on the 2008 summer exhibit "Adirondack Trappers."
  • Argersinger Fund Funder — Provided financial support to convert the garage at the Arnst homestead into a replica 19th-century general store.
  • Barbara McMartin Partner — Researcher whose work on the Caroga area was instrumental in founding the association in 1977 and author of the town’s first comprehensive history.
  • Camp Kowaumkami Partner — Donated its historic barn to the Caroga Historical Museum on condition that the museum provide labor to disassemble, move, and reassemble it.
  • Christianne Smith Partner — Designed ceiling-to-floor exhibit panels with photographs to support the narrative in the Sherman's Arcade building.
  • Dick Loomis Partner — Scanned illustrations and designed the digital edition of "Caroga: An Adirondack Town Recalls Its Past."
  • Janet Sherman Shepard Partner — Donated funds and family artifacts, including her father's desk, ledgers, tools, and inventions, for display in the Sherman's Arcade replica.
  • John Papa Partner — Loaned historic Sherman Arcade games for display in the museum.
  • Johnstown Senior Center Partner — Collaborates with the museum to feature its art class participants in exhibits.
  • Judith Smith Partner — Wrote the narrative content for exhibits in the Sherman's Arcade building.
  • New York State Archives Partner — Collaborates with or references map collections held by the New York State Archives.
  • State of New York Government — Source of the 1829 Surveyor General's map of Montgomery County, used in museum interpretation.
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community-Engaged Historical Interpretation
    methodology: community-engaged exhibitions
    By involving local community members—such as senior art classes, artisans, and local historians—in exhibitions and events, we strengthen local ownership of heritage, because participatory programming fosters deeper engagement and ensures culturally relevant storytelling.
  • Immersive Historical Education
    methodology: immersive_historical_education
    By using replica historic structures and narrative-driven exhibits, we engage younger visitors in learning about local history, because immersive and sensory-rich experiences improve historical understanding and retention among audiences unfamiliar with the subject.
  • Preservation Through Archival and Digital Access
    methodology: digital_preservation
    By digitizing and interpreting historical maps and archival documents, we preserve and democratize access to local history, because long-term conservation and public availability of primary sources strengthens community understanding of historical development.