BRISTOL – The nonprofit Coggeshall Farm Museum, an 18th-century salt marsh farm, has finalized a merger with Old Sturbridge Village, the Massachusetts-based “living history” museum that has been managing the site since 2020.
Cynthia Michener, chair of the Old Sturbridge Village Board of Trustees, said both sites will continue to offer members “the opportunity to learn about another interesting aspect of early American life while expanding our reach and ability to attract new visitors.”
During a time when the smaller museum was facing increasing challenges, CEO and president of Old Sturbridge Village Jim Donahue said they seek to bolster Coggeshall Farm’s sustainability and diversify its offerings while enhancing “experiential tourism" in Rhode Island.
Spread out over 200 acres, Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Mass., has more than 200,000 visitors annually and includes 40 historic structures. Visitors interact with costumed historians and experience up-close demonstrations of early American trades.
A review of recent tax filings show Old Sturbridge Village in 2024 had more than $15 million in revenue, while Coggeshall Farm brought in $153,299 in 2023, the most recent year available.
The nonprofits will continue to operate under separate names with oversight transitioning to the Board of Trustees of Old Sturbridge Village, which will include representatives from Coggeshall.
Coggeshall Farm, which offers visitors a glimpse of the life of a tenant farmer during the 1790s, can focus on developing its exhibits and launching new exhibits.
“This merger between our two, like-minded museums makes natural sense,” said Morgan Devlin, chair of the Coggeshall Farm Board, which along with the Old Sturbridge Board of Trustees unanimously approved the merger.
“In today’s tourism economy, some organizations are just too small to go it alone,” said Donahue.
Donahue said the Sheep & Wool Festival in May brought visitors from Maine to New York to Coggeshall Farm and set a record for daily attendance, with more than 2,000 people visiting the site in a single day.
“It showed the power of the partnership,” he said. “We want the museum to be an economic engine for the community.”
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.
