GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) — The Gulfport Museum of History held its second annual Jones Hardy Party fundraiser at the Markham Hotel, drawing more than 100 attendees for an evening of food and music aimed at supporting the museum’s preservation efforts.
The museum, which has no independent source of revenue, depends on fundraisers to continue operating. The event is named after Gulfport founding fathers William Hardy and Joseph Jones.
Margaret Murdock, vice president of the Historical Society of Gulfport, said turnout exceeded last year’s event.
“Turnout is fabulous. We are thrilled with the response to the event. It grew from last year, and that’s all we can hope for with a second annual event,” Murdock said.
Volunteer Patricia Harvey said the event is also helping introduce the museum to residents who were previously unaware of it.
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“A lot of these people that are here did not even know that the museum existed,” Harvey said. “We are the new kids on the block, so we have to pull our own weight. So, I’m excited about all this.”
Edward Hilton, an attendee, said the museum’s mission extends beyond preservation.
“It’s not only the preservation. It’s also the education of the next generation on the events that make Gulfport what it is today,” Hilton said.
Murdock said the responsibility of preserving Gulfport’s history belongs to the broader community.
“We in many ways are the stewards of Gulfport’s history,” Murdock said. “I mean that’s everybody here now are the stewards of Gulfport history.”
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The Gulfport Museum of History is located at 1419 27th Avenue. The museum hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
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