Thank you for your interest in donating an artifact (including historical records) to the Bastrop County Historical Society! New artifact donations help us better tell the story of Bastrop County and its people by filling gaps in our collection. Most of our artifacts are received as donations from the public.

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We cannot accept objects dropped off. Please read the information below and complete the Artifact Donation form (to the right).

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What to Tell Us!

The more information you can tell us about your artifact, the better. Who used it? How and where did they use it? Who made it? How did you come to have it? What Bastrop County story does it tell? We also need to know the object is in good condition and free from contaminants like mold, unsafe chemicals, or hazardous materials such as asbestos.

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Send Us Pictures!

Photographs of the artifact will help us evaluate your potential donation. Please send an image of what the object looks like today. Historical photographs of the object in use or of the people who used it are also valuable. If your artifact is accepted, we would be grateful for digital copies of these historical photographs! Although we prefer you email the photos, you can also drop them off at the Visitor Center desk labeled for Heather Bloom, our Collections Manager.

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What Happens Next?

The Collections Manager will make an initial assessment of the artifact. We may contact you if we need more information, or we may need to conduct outside research. If the artifact meets the basic requirements per our policies, it will be put on the agenda for our next Collections Committee meeting. We will check to make sure the condition of the artifact is suitable, compare it to artifacts already in our collection, and determine if it meets BCHS's criteria. We will contact you once a decision to accept or decline your offer is made, typically within two to four weeks after the Collections Committee meeting.

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The Paperwork!

If your object is accepted, we will send you a Deed of Gift form, which transfers unrestricted ownership to BCHS. Come in to sign the form or return the signed copy by mail. We are unable to accept donations with limiting conditions such as requiring the artifact to go on exhibit.

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What Do We Collect?

BCHS decides whether to accept or decline an artifact donation based on criteria set in our Collections Management Policy found on our website. We appreciate all offers, but we cannot accept everything. Storage space and resources are limited. Part of managing the artifact collection is having to respectfully say "no" to new offers of artifacts that are already well-represented in our collection.