The Dowagiac Area History Museum is about to cross a major item off its to-do list.

During the past 12 months, Director Steve Arseneau and other volunteers have been quietly raising funds for its next expansion, receiving over $50,000 to help pay for renovations to the museum’s second floor. The space will be used for the installation of two new exhibits, and will help free up space on the lower two levels of the structure, Arseneau said.

First opening its doors to the public in 2013 in the former Behnke Paint Store on Railroad Street after moving from its location at Southwestern Michigan College, the museum leadership has long sought to expand its offerings to the public, Arseneau said.

“It’s been a priority for us since we first moved in here,” he said. “One of the most common questions we get from visitors is ‘when are you going to finish the upstairs?’ It’s been high on our members’ list of goals.”

Kicking off early last year, the fundraising campaign met and exceeded the goals of its organizers, with donors from all over the community contributing to the cause. The museum’s year-end fundraising event also saw a great response from donors, due in part to the clear-cut project the money is going toward, the director said.

“It’s really a reflection of the generosity of the community, and how supportive they are, not just of us but of other endeavors,” Arseneau said.

The museum plans to open up several new exhibits in the expanded space. The first will be a permanent display telling the history of the City of Dowagiac, starting from its origins alongside the development of the railroad system in 1848 through the rehabilitation of the city’s downtown and the birth of the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival in the 1990s. The exhibit will feature several items that have never been seen by the public before, and will touch on subjects such as the visits by the orphan train, the city’s connections with the Titanic disaster and more.

“There’s a lot of really good stories we weren’t able to tell before with our current setup,” Arseneau said.

The second floor will also feature space for temporary exhibits, which will be rotated out around two to four times a year, Arseneau said. The staff is currently preparing a showcase of the region’s military history, displaying the uniforms of local soldiers participating in conflicts from the American Civil War to the modern day. The exhibit will tell the story of these wars from the perspective of Cass County soldiers, sharing their stories with visitors.

Construction on the second floor could begin as early as late January, and is expected to be open to the public by late summer or early fall.

With daily attendance, membership and interest in its summer and fall lecture series all performing strongly throughout 2014, Arseneau said he feels confident about the future of the museum heading into the New Year.

“Based upon this campaign, I feel really good about the support for this institution,” Arseneau said. “I look forward to offering more for our visitors this year.”

The museum’s fundraising campaign is still ongoing. Anyone looking to donate can contact the museum at (269) 783-2560.