Shakespeare Chateau Guild, Inc. – a Non-Profit 501(c)3 Organization

“What is Past is Prologue” – William Shakespeare

The mission of the Shakespeare Chateau Guild is to be a beacon for the preservation and maintenance of historic properties in St. Joseph, and to make significant contributions to neighborhood revitalization and community development through building restorations, development and realization of arts-based community events, and education/outreach programs.

The Shakespeare Chateau Guild will:

·        generate revenues to support operations and maintenance by offering retreats, overnight accommodations (bed-and-breakfast), short-term and long-term housing opportunities, event hosting (weddings, dinner parties, meetings, conferences, and more), workshops and classes in careers such as culinary arts, innkeeping, historic building trades, horticulture/landscape design, etc., and guided tours

·        support an educational curriculum for innkeeping professionals and preservation craftspeople, and will create educational opportunities for hospitality training and the preservation trades

·        seek donations and grant monies for specific projects to continue development and preservation of the properties

·        partner with other non-profit organizations (local, regional, national) to develop new arts-based (specifically Shakespeare-themed) and preservation-oriented events, including performance events, conferences, and workshops

·        work with the Old Town North Neighborhood Association, Historic St. Joseph Foundation, and other groups to foster community development and neighborhood revitalization.

Shakespeare Chateau Guild, Inc. recognizes that historic architecture is fragile, vulnerable, and once it is gone, it is lost forever. St. Joseph, once known as the “Queen of the River Cities and Gateway to the West,” has suffered greatly from decades of disinvestment and neglect, especially in the older historic neighborhoods. Realization of our mission and vision will help restore economic vitality, tourism, and national recognition to the architectural treasures that exist in our community, while preserving those treasures for future generations and educating students in their care, upkeep, and preservation.