Museum Conservation and Collections

Woman upholstering a pink sofa
Conservation fellow Maeve O'Shea treating Mamie Eisenhower's sofa. (NPS Photo)

The National Park Service (NPS) Harpers Ferry Center (HFC) Museum Conservation and Collections preserves America’s history and heritage through three unique program areas: Museum Conservation, HFC Commissioned Art Collection, and the NPS History Collection.

Caring for the Nation’s treasures requires a specialized facility with environmental controls, security and fire protection systems, loading docks, workshops, fume hoods, chemical storage, and other support functions. A GSA-leased facility in Charles Town provides 40,000 square feet of museum collection management and storage areas, conservation labs, analytical science lab, photo studio, scanning room, library, cold storage, air abrasion room, spray booth, and other spaces not readily available in typical office or warehouse spaces. Twelve permanent employees work in the building, supported by a dozen interns, conservation fellows, and volunteers each year.

Museum Conservation and Collections

  • A woman pushes a syringe into the frame of a wooden chair that is propped up.
    Museum Conservation

    HFC’s conservators provide professional conservation services for NPS museum collections from parks across the U.S. and its territories.

  • 4 colorful, square paintings of rangers outdoors hang one of several sliding, metal walls.
    Commissioned Art Collection

    The collection contains more than 12,000 pieces of art purchased by HFC for park brochures, exhibits, films, posters, and publications.

  • 4 historical women's NPS uniforms display on a metal shelf with their round Stetson cases.
    NPS History Collection

    The collection preserves and shares the overarching Service-wide stories of the history, culture, and management of the NPS.

Last updated: May 14, 2025

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