Illinois surveying museum starts capital campaign

SPRINGFIELD — Abraham Lincoln’s National Museum of Surveying in Springfield has started a capital campaign to pay off its $1.3 million mortgage and fund educational programs.

The State Journal-Register reports that the museum has an anonymous donor who will match donations up to $200,000 through the end of the year. Museum Board President Jim Roth says the institution needs to reduce its mortgage so it has money to offer educational programs. He says the museum’s memberships, entrance fees and donations cover monthly overhead costs.

The museum opened 18 months ago. Its goal is to educate the public about how land surveyors developed in America and why land surveying is important. It has exhibits on Lincoln’s years as a deputy surveyor in Sangamon County.