Education Center Named for Fred Veil

The Museum’s new Education Center, completed early 2020, has been renamed the “Fred W. Veil Education Center” by unanimous board vote.

The 10,350-sq.-ft. building at the southeast corner of McCormick Street and Beach Avenue in Prescott had been a priority for Fred Veil, executive director at Sharlot Hall Museum, since his taking the helm in late-2013.

With Board approval in May 2016 and working with a local architect, Veil envisioned a dramatic re-use of a tiny parking lot (of six spaces) as the site for the new structure. The facility would include space for education program events and classrooms relocated from the Lawler, plus a multi-purpose area with seating capacity up to 130 persons.

Through his efforts and the assistance from the Board and its resource development committee, funds were either pledged or provided for that goal by late-2018, and groundbreaking was scheduled for the new year.

A late-February 2019 groundbreaking set the building project in rapid motion, and it was deemed ready for occupancy in late-March 2020 – just as the COVID-19 pandemic first impacted the country.

“This new Education Center would not have happened if not for the vision, dedication and perseverance of one man,” said Kim Finston, president of the Museum’s Board of Trustees.

“Fred Veil and his team of contractors, suppliers, and Museum staff, plus the financial commitment of the community donors he recruited – all made this happen,” she added.

At the September 22 Trustees meeting, board members were presented a final accounting for the building; it came in under budget at $3.105 million. At that same meeting, the board members unanimously chose to name the building the “Fred W. Veil Education Center”, honoring him for his dedication, perseverance and personal commitment in the building project, as well as his outstanding leadership at the Museum since 2013.