The Cowsills, a popular band from the 1960s, will perform a benefit concert raising money to convert a church into a historical museum in Madras.
The Jefferson County museum will include exhibits with Native American themes, digital elements, antique photography and artifacts from the Homestead era.
The Jefferson County Historical Society begins renovations on the 6,400-square-foot building, known to locals as the Madras Gospel Mission Community Center, this month. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems will be the first areas updated.
Members of the Jefferson County Historical Society do not have an estimated cost for the project yet but have been raising money through grants and fundraisers.
“We are more than a year, maybe two away from opening a museum, but we’re making great progress. Between this show and other grants that we’re seeking, 2026 is going to be an important year for us,” Lottie Holcomb, historical society chair with JCHS, stated in a recent press release.
The JCHS has recently received two grants from the Roundhouse Foundation and the Oregon Heritage Grant totaling around $40,000. The Jefferson County Commission provided the JCHS with an additional $100,000 to purchase the building.
JCHS member Tony Ahern told the Source that they are taking the project “piece by piece.” Soon they will address sidewalks and entrances so that they fit Americans with Disabilities Act standards, installing new flooring and restoring the original exterior.
“We want to have a quality facility,” Ahern says. “Long-term, we want to continue to grow and serve our community, serve the history of our community and the county and make it something that locals and people that come through will love to visit.”
The Cowsills will perform the concert at the Madras Performing Arts Center on Saturday, April 11.
The band was the inspiration behind the popular 1970s show, “The Partridge Family,” and is known for popular hits including, “The Rain, The Park and Other Things” and “Hair.” Both songs made it to #2 in the Billboard charts in 1967 and 1969, respectively.
Paul Cowsill, known for drums and vocals, lives with his wife in Gateway, about 16 miles east of Warm Springs. Ahern says the event was made possible through Cowsill and his friendship with a member of JCHS.
The Cowsills Benefit Concert for the Jefferson County Museum Project
April 20 7-8:30pm
Madras Performing Arts Center
412 SE Buff St, Madras, OR
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/the-cowsills-benefit-concert
$50-$100
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