I really like the Row Home museum idea. The history of Philadelphia's row homes is definitely underrepresented in the Philadelphia history sector. I also think a row home museum would be very versatile and flexible--it could tell so many different untold stories, about so many different communities. It could tell the story of a neighborhood's change over time. It could talk about immigration or gentrification. And it wouldn't need to stick to one of those stories--exhibits could keep changing and rotating, bringing visitors back for the next untold story. The exhibits and their changes could be documented on Steemit, which could even be used in exhibit development for audience feedback. However, with all there is to like, I have many concerns.
First is the expense--we don't have the money to make a new museum, which I believe is why @tmaust suggested using it to fund the team that plans the creation of the museum. It would be sad if we spent the money, and the planning team ultimately failed. Also, we've raised the question of how many NPOs are too many in class several times, and adding a new one might just create more problems instead of helping revive the sector. I'm also concerned the museum format might not be the best way to reach the diverse and local audience we're seeking--although I may be wrong about that, and there are probably ways to address that issue that I haven't thought of. Finally, who will take this project? Most of our other projects have recipients with proven records of success; who will we find to create a house museum?
Thanks for your support, @engledd! This idea has been living in my head in various forms for a while and it's thrilling and terrifying (in equal measure) to get it out in the world. I am seriously considering embarking on this project myself in the next year.
However, I don't really think this project is very well suited for the scope of this particular funding source. To really embark on the #rowhomemuseum idea, I would need a lot of funding and probably some institutional support to make sure it doesn't all come to nothing (as you astutely observe is a possibility!).
What might be more possible is a smaller transfer of Steem capital to build the #rowhomemuseum plan out here on Steem with the aim of creating a viable plan for larger-scale funders (the IRL whales, if you will).