Western Sonoma County Historical Society

Programs

1. The preservation and development of the remaining 2 acres of Luther Burbanks Experiment Farm in Sebastopol (originally approximately 26 acres). Under the direction of the Farm Director and a contracted horticulturist the work is performed by a group of volunteers who perform, on at least a weekly basis, the maintenance of the grounds, Burbanks restored Cottage (restored by the WSCHS) and Barn (rebuilt by the WSCHS). They also maintain a nursery for the propagation of plants for sale and for Farm use, many of these plants are cultivated from original Burbank stock. The Farm is open to the public, and tours, either self-guided or docent led, are available. The Farm is also visited by many school and horticultural groups in the area, and by Burbank fans from all over the world.

   $19,768 spent
   74% of program spending

2. The WSCHS operates the West County Museum in Sebastopol. The Museum is housed in a Railroad Station built in 1917. The building was restored by WSCHS volunteers in 1993. The Museum offers exhibits which are rotated regularly and are open to the public. There is also a permanent section of the Museum which provides a history of the area. Under the direction of the Museum Director volunteers perform many functions, including: creation of exhibits; archiving of photos, artifacts, documents; recording oral histories; maintenance of the property. The Museum has digitized more than 6,000 photos, artifacts, and newspaper articles, and maintains the images in a software program designed for museums. The Museum also reaches out to the community to provide information to service groups, schools etc. in the form of oral, photographic or video presentations. The Museum also serves as a reference resource for people researching personal or general history of the area.

   $2,452 spent
   9% of program spending

3. Each year in October, for 21 years, the WSCHS organizes the Sebastopol Cemetery Walk. This is performed at the Farm and the adjacent Sebastopol Memorial Lawn Cemetery. The program consists of six or seven skits based on area historical figures and events, primarily on people buried in the cemetery. Scripts are written and performed by volunteers. On the first Friday and Saturday night of October four groups of 24 people are guided through the Farm and the Cottage to the six or seven locations in the cemetery where the skits are performed. This event is the major fundraiser for WSCHS and is a sell out every year.

   $4,438 spent
   17% of program spending

The 3 programs described on its FY2025 Form 990-EZ. Program spending in total: $26,658.