Charles Thompson Memorial Hall has been the heartbeat of the Minnesota Deaf community for over 100 years. It is considered one of the oldest Deaf Clubs in the world. Thompson Hall is proudly owned by the Deaf community and managed by dedicated Deaf volunteers. In the past years, there has been noticeable decline. Our landmark building is not accessible or inclusive for many of our cherished patrons and community members. To welcome all people; we must preserve and renovate the building. We must add an elevator. Time is critical. Without action, our treasured Thompson Hall may not survive.

Thompson Hall Board of Trustees, Deaf Equity Board and members of the community are working together to Save the Deaf Club. Since July 2017, the team has been meeting twice monthly to create a plan to renovate and preserve Thompson Hall. Thompson Hall Elevator/Renovation Project has two priorities. First, to improve accessibility to the building by adding an elevator. This will allow organizations and schools as well as our communities with disabilities to utilize the space. Second, to preserve the historical landmark building for our future generations of Deaf and community members.

We are making progress! We have accomplished:
1. Elevator blueprint by Gregg Hackett
2. Building Assessment and Historic Structure Report by MacDonald and Mack

The report identified preservation needs of the building. Thompson Hall was awarded a grant from the Minnesota Historical Society to conduct the assessment.

Our work is just beginning. Support is crucial to our success. We have the support of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind & Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH).They have provided valuable support through resources, interpreting services and a grant. A grant provided us an opportunity to obtain grants development services through Fox Advancement.

We also have the support of a deaf-owned bank, Hiawatha National Bank based in Hudson, Wisconsin for banking services. All donations will be exclusive to this project. Both Board of Trustees at Thompson Hall and Deaf Equity Board will provide fiscal oversight.

We are very excited to see our dream of revitalizing our treasured building become a reality. We need your financial support. $130,000 is needed to launch phase one. This phase includes project planning, fund development and blueprints. Find more information below. Any amount – large and small will be appreciated! If we reach our Target Goal, all remaining funds will go towards Phase Two of the project for construction.

We are committed to transparency and engagement with our communities. Public meetings will take place every other month at Thompson Hall. If you have any questions or would like to help us with our fundraising campaign, please contact us at savethompsonhall@gmail.com or sign up through Google Forms at https://goo.gl/forms/S8Y5DR8lHpc5jCp82

Thank you again for sharing our dream and your financial support with our project. Be sure to stop by the Deaf Club sometime!

Follow us on our SAVE Thompson Hall Facebook Page and @SAVE_THdeafclub on Instagram/Twitter.

Save Thompson Hall Committee
Board of Trustees at Charles Thompson Memorial Hall: Herman Fuechtmann, Ralph Fuechtmann, Jack Graff, Bertha Scofield, Richard Taylor & Mike Moder
Deaf Equity Board: Jessalyn Akerman Frank, Jimmy Beldon, John Fechter, Krissy Foreman, Fardowsa Mohamed, Migdalia Rogers & Darlene Zangara
And our wonderful committee members & volunteers – Jon Ainsworth, Patty McCutcheon, and Scott Bowman

Breakdown of fundraising GOAL TARGET:
· MacDonald and Mack Architects (MMA): $30,000 for Historic Structure Report (HSR).
· Gregg Hackett (Architect): $60,000 for Design and Construction documents.
· $30,000 for Renovation and Restoration Planning

Anybody interested in reading our FINAL Historical Structural Report (HSR) from Minnesota Historical Society.
(WARNING: Big File = long time download)

https://charlesthompsonhall.org/saveth-old/pdf/HSR-FINAL.pdf