Acquisitions
Your donation to the Hilliard Ohio Historical Society helps collect, preserve, and share Hilliard’s history. Your donation is tax-deductible and educates current and future generations about our remarkable past.
If you have any questions, please contact the office at (614) 876-5880
Hilliard Ohio Historical Society, 5274 Norwich St, Hilliard, OH 43026
How to Donate
The Hilliard Ohio Historical Society maintains a wide variety of collections. New items are acquired in a number of ways including selected donations from members of the public.
Before an item is acquired for our collections, it undergoes a rigorous review process. Not all items are accepted because not everything is appropriate for our collections and because it is expensive to care for and provide access to the collected items. If we are not able to accept your items we will provide you with a list of other historical societies that may be interested in your items.
If you are interested in donating items please review the frequently asked questions below, print and fill out the Potential Donation Form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What does The Hilliard Ohio Historical Society collect?
We collect a variety of materials including:
•Art
•Books
•Historical Objects
•Manuscripts
•Maps
•Music
•Film
•Photographs
•Video
•Historical Transportation
•Family Bibles and records
•Family Trees
•Military memorabilia
Q. What doesn’t The Hilliard Ohio Historical Society collect?
At this time, in most cases, we do not collect:
•Wedding Dresses
•Foreign military memorabilia from wars not represented by the United States
•Sewing Machines
Q. How do I donate an item?
First, let us know what it is you’d like to donate. The best way to do this is by filling out the HILLIARD Potential Donation Form online.
The more information you provide about your item(s), the more easily we’ll be able to make a decision about whether or not to add it to our collections.
Q. Can I send or bring my item to The Hilliard Ohio Historical Society immediately?
Unfortunately we do not have staff available to handle unsolicited donations. If you’d like to donate something the first step is to fill out the Potential Donation Form. The Accession’s Officer or curator will follow up with you. If the Society is interested in learning more about the item, then an appointment will be arranged.
Please note: the Society reserves the right to dispose of any unsolicited materials delivered to one of its sites.
Q. Does the Society ever buy things for the collection?
It is our policy not to purchase items for the Society’s collections.
Q. Can the Society appraise my item?
Because of our standing with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as an interested party, the Society cannot appraise or assign a monetary value to items. Those looking for appraisal services may wish to consult their resources or contact one of the following organizations for a referral:
•American Society of Appraisers
•Appraisers Association of America
•International Society of Appraisers
Q. Do donated items go on exhibit?
Most do and the others go into storage for future displays. Why, because we have limited gallery space and because long-term displays can have negative effects on preservation. Items in the Society’s collections that are not on exhibit are kept in secure, climate-controlled holding area for optimal preservation.