Object Donations

 

The Lee-Fendall House accepts limited donations of objects to add to our permanent collection.  At this time, the museum is most interested in objects or documents owned by or associated with individuals who lived in the Lee-Fendall House, and in furniture and furnishings from the Federal/early Republic period (ca. 1780-1830), and the early to mid-twentieth century (ca. 1900-1950). Large furniture items (beds, sofas, dressers) are unlikely to be accepted. 

Contact the Museum Director for information on objects currently being accepted. Please do not bring objects to the museum without an appointment; front desk staff cannot accept object donations.

If a donation is accepted, the donor will be asked to sign a Deed of Gift.  Upon signing this form, the object becomes the property of the Lee-Fendall House and cannot be returned.  The Lee-Fendall House cannot guarantee that objects donated will be placed on exhibition.  Due to space restrictions, only a small fraction of our collections are on exhibit at any one time. 

The museum may, with the approval of its Board of Trustees, remove objects from its collection through a process called deaccessioning. Determining factors for deaccessioning an object include damage that is beyond repair, condition issues that threaten the museum and its other collections, duplication of other items in the collection, or objects that are outside the scope of the museum’s mission or collections policy. Deaccessioned objects may be donated to another institution, destroyed, or sold.

Items donated to the Lee-Fendall House are tax deductible for both federal and Commonwealth of Virginia tax purposes.  As the museum cannot offer tax advice, it is the responsibility of the donor to consult with a tax advisor regarding the details of potential tax benefits.  It is the donor’s responsibility to obtain a formal appraisal of the object’s value; federal law prohibits the museum from providing an appraisal. The following organizations can assist in locating an appraiser:

American Society of Appraisers
http://www.appraisers.org/

International Society of Appraisers
http://www.isa-appraisers.org/

Appraisers Association of America
http://www.appraisersassoc.org/

The Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden and Virginia Trust for Historic Preservation are a registered charitable organization within the Commonwealth of Virginia. A financial statement is available upon written request from the Office of Consumer Affairs.