May 7, 2024 |City of Lynn, GAR Museum, News

Survey on Community Space Usage at the GAR Hall and Museum

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The Grand Army of The Republic Hall and Museum is located in Downtown Lynn, and was built in 1885 as a club and social services facility for veterans of the Civil War. Today, the building is owned by the City and managed by a volunteer Board of Trustees and is located in the Lynn Downtown Cultural District.

The GAR in Lynn is one of the last extant buildings in the United States still used for its original purpose — to honor the men who fought to save the Union during the Civil War. The building is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its “Significance in Military, Architectural and Social History.”

Thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, Community Development Block Grants, and private donors to the Friends of the G.A.R., the building is undergoing a $2.7M renovation to make the entire building accessible. There are over 11,000 sq ft of space in the building with 8,000 ft of that space potentially available for community use. This survey is part of a community engagement process to find out how to best use that space.

video of revitalization groundbreaking on may 6, 2024

video of open house from 2022

Mission statement of the GAR Hall and Museum

The GAR Hall and Museum shall serve as a memorial to the people of Lynn who served in the United States military, particularly during the civil war, as well as those who served in other US conflicts. Honoring the wishes of Civil War Veterans, as enshrined in the State of Massachusetts Acts of 1919, the GAR building is intended for the use of, and for the benefit of, Lynn veterans, as well as for Lynn’s patriotic, charitable, benevolent or educational organizations. These goals will be achieved through the development and presentation of exhibits and programming; and by making the GAR Hall and Museum a vital community resource.

The above information is courtesy of the Grand Army of The Republic Hall and Museum.