About Our Organization

The three-story Cortland Museum building at 340 West 4^th Street (main street) is the oldest business building in Cortland, built in 1884. The extensive museum collection of items, books and paper records represents the history of the Cortland area, its people, businesses, schools, railroad, agriculture and military veterans. Most of these items were donated by community members. The Cortland Museum was established in 2003 by Norval and Lila Papke. Last year, the building was sold through probate to a group of local residents who formed the Save the Cortland Museum committee and received an outpouring of support from the community. The committee is now the Cortland Museum Board of Directors and is under the umbrella of the Cortland Improvement Association (CIA), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The Museum Board plans to keep the building’s entire first floor as a museum, with a research room. The goal is to have a Museum grand re-opening event in fall 2023!

The Cortland Museum Board of Directors is raising money to remodel and establish a research room at the Cortland Museum.

An existing room (previously used for storage) needs modern electrical wiring, the drywall redone and the original wood floor refurnished. Some of the vintage wallpaper in good condition will be kept intact. The finished research room will be available during museum hours for people to research their connection to Cortland using the Museum's collection of Cortland historical books and paper records. The Museum's Board of Directors has already received bids from different contractors for the electrical work, drywalling and floor refurnishing. 

The photos show the room in its current state.

"Lila and Norval Papke, who established the Cortland Museum in 2003, wanted to transform this room into a research library. With your help, this goal can finally be achieved, making local history accessible to the community," says Sheila Day, president of the Cortland Museum Board of Directors.

Cortland Museum

340 West 4th St.
Cortland, NE 68331
 
(402) 540-2579

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