Members of the Marengo County History and Archives Museum (MCHAM) board made a presentation of the proposed facility at the Rural Heritage Center in Thomaston on Thursday.

The town hall meeting was the first of several scheduled town hall meetings that the MCHAM board plan to host to present information about the proposed archives and museum, to be located in the Rosenbush Building in Demopolis.

Those in attendance watched a PowerPoint presentation of what the museum would look like, including a column with donors’ names embossed on metal plates, displays of artifacts and historical information about Marengo County, a miniature theater and more.

Board members Kayte Melton and Kirk Brooker told those on hand that the history of Marengo County is rich and diverse, with representations from societies dating back to pre-historic Creek and Choctaw tribes to the French, African-Americans, Jewish and other European communities.

The board plans to represent each of those communities within the museum, which will be a modern facility with a small theater and interactive displays.

“We don’t want to just throw glass cases in the building and be done,” said board member Kirk Brooker. “We want to have a museum that Marengo County can be proud of.”

However, costs – including restoration of the building as well as the cost of building the museum – is estimated to be a total of $1.1 million.

The Marengo County History and Archives Museum Foundation Inc. is actively seeking funds through membership drives, donations and grants.

The next town hall meeting will be on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m. in Demopolis inside the site of the proposed museum, the Rosenbush Building, on Walnut Avenue.

The MCHAM board meets every two months. The next meeting will be on Thursday, Oct. 22, at noon. The location will be announced at a later date. Those wanting to join the Marengo County History and Archives Museum may attend any meetings or write to P.O. Box 1144, Demopolis, AL 36732. There are several levels of MCHAM membership, from individual memberships at $25 each to the benefactor level, with a donation of $1,000 or more.