Lowell Historical Museum hires manager

LOWELL — Erin Virtue-Lawson is the new manager of the Lowell Historical Museum, it was announced Monday.

Liz Estes, museum director, hired Virtue-Lawson as museum manager Sept. 25.

Virtue-Lawson will manage museum social media and marketing as well as educational programming. She also will assist Estes with daily museum operations.

Virtue-Lawson has experience with nonprofit organizations and a history of marketing experience within the local vendor community. She has worked with the Alzheimer’s Association, Triad Retail Marketing and as a children’s ministry coordinator for Vintage Fellowship.

Estes said she hopes Virtue-Lawson will expand the children’s educational programming at the museum.

Traditional museum events, such as Mudtown Camp and the school outreach programs, will continue. Estes said the public can expect more summer programming and events that coordinate with the city fire and police departments.

Longtime museum historian Elza Tucker, 99, retired from the Historical Museum after serving 41 years, Estes said. Tucker retired in June.

Tucker co-founded the museum in 1976 and donated many artifacts from his personal collection. Tucker is a lifelong resident of Lowell who served as postmaster for 30 years, a volunteer firefighter for 20 years and a former member of the City Council and Planning Commission. He also served as a staff sergeant in World War II.

Estes said Tucker always has been a friendly, familiar face at the museum who shares his great depth of local historical knowledge with visitors and has a knack for getting children involved.

The museum’s recurring Christmas Open House is a program that asks fifth-graders to interview an older person, such as a grandparent or neighbor, about how the celebration of Christmas has changed in their lifetime. The students then build a representation of that difference, write an essay based on it and display all items at the museum.

The Lowell Historical Museum Foundation has started to raise $400,000 for a new museum at 304 Bellview Road. The money is part of a challenge match by the trustees of the Kathleen Johnson Memorial Park.

Virtue-Lawson said her role at the museum will free Estes for the fundraising process over the next year.

No estimated date of groundbreaking or completion was set Monday.