Burlington County Historical Society

What Burlington County Historical Society does

The Burlington County Historical Society (BCHS) is a 501C(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1915 and headquartered at 457 High Street, Burlington, New Jersey. It operates a campus spanning a city block that includes the Corson Poley Center (museum, library, and visitor entrance), the Bard How House (built 1743), the James Fenimore Cooper Birthplace, and the Captain James Lawrence House. The society preserves and interprets the history of Burlington County and the surrounding region through five core offerings: the Children's History Center (interactive family exhibits launched 2010), the Library and Collections (archives, manuscripts, genealogical resources, maps, prints, photographs, and rare books), Historic Houses (tours and educational programming), Programs and Events (living history reenactments, lectures, seasonal festivals), and Research and Genealogy Services (on-site and remote fee-based research).

The society serves multiple customer segments including genealogists and family historians, families with children, scholars and historians, Burlington County residents and visitors, and educational institutions. It is governed by a board of 15 trustees elected to 3-year terms and supported by a full-time professional staff of approximately 5 (Executive Director, Education Director, Program Specialist, Genealogist) plus a larger corps of volunteers. Leadership includes Executive Director Lisa Fox-Pfeiffer, President Bernadette Boyle, and Education Director Jeffrey Macechak.

Revenue is generated through five streams: membership dues (subscription/recurring), donations and annual fund drives, research service fees ($50 for 2 hours of professional research), image reproduction and publication usage rights ($0.50/page to $200/image for commercial digital use), and government grants from the New Jersey Cultural Trust and New Jersey Historical Commission. The society distributes services through on-site campus visits (Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm), scheduled research appointments, remote research request forms with 6-10 week turnaround, and digital image delivery via Dropbox or email. No proprietary technology platform or AI capabilities are part of the operating model; the value proposition rests on physical artifacts, archival depth, and human-led interpretation.

Name

Burlington County Historical Society

Legal name

Burlington County Historical Society

Website

https://burlingtoncountyhistoricalsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Burlington County Historical Society is a 501C(3) nonprofit founded in 1915 that preserves and interprets Burlington County, NJ history through historic house museums, a research library, the Children's History Center, and public programming, serving genealogists, families, scholars, and local residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Society and Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (71211), Historical Sites (71212), Libraries and Archives (51921)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

History Museums (THAJADAB), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Archaeological Sites & Heritage Interpretation Centers (THAJADAG)

Keywords

• Historical society services
• Museum education programs
• Genealogy research services
• Heritage preservation tours
• Living history programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership contributions that support society operations and provide benefits to members including free library access.
2. Donations and Annual Fund: Tax-deductible donations supporting programming, preservation, library services, and interpretation. Includes annual fund drives and capital campaigns for the Children's History Center.
3. Research Services: Pre-paid research fees of $50 for 2 hours of professional research services using library and manuscript collections.
4. Image Reproduction and Usage Fees: Fees for photographic reproductions, scans, and publication usage rights ranging from $0.50/page for copying to $200 per image for commercial digital publications.
5. Government Grants: Grant funding from New Jersey Cultural Trust and New Jersey Historical Commission supporting mission and activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Burlington County Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that preserves and interprets Burlington County history through a campus of three historic house museums (including the Bard How House built in 1743 and the James Fenimore Cooper Birthplace), a research library and archive, and an interactive Children's History Center. It sells on-site and remote genealogical and historical research services, museum and house tours, educational programs and living history events, and image reproduction and publication rights licenses.

Product overview

The Burlington County Historical Society (BCHS) operates as a unified portfolio of historical education services centered on its campus in Burlington, New Jersey. The organization offers five interconnected core offerings: the Children's History Center (interactive family exhibits), Library and Collections (research and genealogical resources), Historic Houses (three museum properties including the Bard How House, James Fenimore Cooper Birthplace, and Captain James Lawrence House), Programs and Events (living history programs and seasonal festivals), and Research and Genealogy Services (on-site and remote research assistance). Additionally, the society provides Image Request and Rights and Reproductions services for researchers and publishers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Children's History Center: An interactive family-friendly exhibit space where children and families explore Burlington County's past through play and hands-on activities.

Products and services

• Children's History Center Family-friendly interactive exhibit spaces designed to engage children and families in exploring Burlington County's past through playful, hands-on learning experiences.
• Historic Houses tours
• Programs and events Historical education programs including living history reenactments, lectures, workshops, and seasonal festivals such as the Revolutionary Burlington Festival and 4th of July Declaration reading celebration.
• Research and genealogy services On-site research access and fee-based genealogical research conducted by skilled researchers using the society's library and manuscripts collection, with on-site appointments and remote research request options.
• Library and collections access Access to the research library and artifact collections, including archives, manuscripts, genealogical resources, maps, prints, photographs, rare books, and museum objects, available to researchers and historians on-site during research hours.
• Image reproduction and rights licensing Image licensing and reproduction services providing scans and photographic reproductions of collection materials, with per-page photocopying, per-image scan fees, and tiered publication rights fees for non-profit and commercial publishers.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Burlingtonnj250 CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for the 4th of July Celebration event, including live reading of the Declaration of Independence with musical and artistic performances at St. Mary's Episcopal Church.
• NJEDA (New Jersey Economic Development Authority)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the Revolutionary Burlington Festival event, providing support for skirmish events, colonial craft fair, and music programming.
• Arts Guild NJminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the Revolutionary Burlington Festival, contributing colonial craft programming and fair activities.
• Burlington City Arts CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the Revolutionary Burlington Festival, providing artistic programming and coordination within Burlington city.
• Monmouth UniversityminorOthersDr. Richard Veit from Monmouth University presents lectures on American Revolution archaeology in New Jersey, examining battlefields, encampments, and material traces of the Revolutionary period.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Institution: Largest U.S. museum and research complex, with overlapping mission in historical preservation, public education, and collection stewardship. A brand-aspiration peer rather than direct competitor, but referenced by national audiences as the standard for museum programming.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: National nonprofit focused on saving historic places, offering grants, technical assistance, and advocacy. Operates at significantly greater scale than BCHS but addresses the same underlying audience of historic property stewards and heritage tourists.
• Historical Society of Pennsylvania: State-level historical organization operating a much larger library, archives, and educational programming in Philadelphia. Overlaps with BCHS in genealogy/library/archive services but operates at significantly greater scale and broader geographic scope.
• New Jersey Historical Society: Statewide New Jersey historical organization offering library, museum, and educational programming. A direct funder competitor for NJ Historical Commission and NJ Cultural Trust grants and a more comprehensive alternative for state-level researchers.

Others

• Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area: National Heritage Area covering New Jersey's Revolutionary War sites, of which BCHS is a constituent. Functions as an ecosystem partner, marketing channel, and grant intermediary that amplifies BCHS's Revolutionary programming reach.

Direct peers

• Bucks County Historical Society (Mercer Museum): County-level historical society operating a folk-culture museum, library, and historic site in Bucks County, PA. Comparable operating model combining historic structures, collections-based museum, library, and educational programming for a county audience.
• Camden County Historical Society: Adjacent New Jersey county historical society operating a similar portfolio of historic house museums, genealogy library, and educational programs. Direct structural and operational parallel to BCHS in mission, scale, and visitor offerings.
• Monmouth County Historical Association: Another New Jersey county-level historical society operating historic house museums, library/archives, and educational programming for a similar local audience. Highly comparable operating model, scale, and revenue mix to BCHS, and already a content partner of BCHS through Monmouth University's Dr. Richard Veit.

Regional players

• Old Barracks Museum: Trenton-based historic site museum focused on colonial and Revolutionary War interpretation. Comparable in its colonial-era programming and living history reenactments, and a natural co-marketing or partnership candidate for BCHS's Revolutionary Burlington Festival.
• Preservation New Jersey: New Jersey's statewide historic preservation advocacy organization. Operates a parallel mission focused on preservation of historic sites like those stewarded by BCHS, and is a likely advocacy partner, grant intermediary, and policy peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BurlCoHistSoc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burlington-county-historical

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Burlington County Historical Society