EDWARDSBURG — The Edwardsburg Area Historical Museum is full of old items and artifacts memorializing the history of the greater Edwardsburg area. Soon, however, the museum will take its own step into the 21st Century with the introduction of a new website made by Dojo Creative, a web design and programming company co-founded by Edwardsburg local Doug Elder.

To date, EAHM has only had a Facebook page, a common online tool for many entities and organizations without the means to create or purchase their own website. The website for the EAHM, however, will be something of a small gift for the local museum. As a graduate of Edwardsburg High School, class of 1997, the Edwardsburg community is close to Elder.

“I have a personal stake,” Elder said. “It’s just a cool way to tell the story of past businesses, the history with the lakes and other history I didn’t know.”

Giving back to the community is not just something Dojo does for Edwardsburg. Elder said one of the primary goals of Dojo is community outreach.

“One of the pillars of our business is giving back. It’s really near and dear to hearts,” Elder said. “We work hard and put out phenomenal work, and try to give back at the same time.”

The website Dojo is giving to EAHM is a full setup of tabs and pages necessary for any entity of its kind. There are tabs for exhibits, acquisitions, photos, calendar events and donations. On the exhibits page, viewers will be able to see some of the photos and setups for things like railroads, farms, school houses, businesses and churches, native American heritage and more.

“The website will be mobile optimized and high-end design,” Elder said.

Dojo Creative started in the summer of 2018 after Elder and his business partner, Josh Harmon, left another company to venture out on their own. The two worked together for about seven years until they felt the time was right for their own project. With more than 40 years of combined experience, and success in advertising, marketing and design, Elder and Harmon are bringing an expertise to EHM’s website project that Elder believes will farm surpass the simplicity of the current Facebook page.

The Edwardsburg Area Historical Museum is a member of a larger historical society network, the Historical Society of Michigan, one of the state’s oldest cultural organizations.

Elder hopes the new website will place the museum on par with other museums of its size, as well as other museums within the HSM. He also believes it will be an asset for the whole of Edwardsburg, both local and afar.

“It’ll be a great tool and asset to community, especially for those who have moved away,” he said.

The website for the Edwardsburg Area History Museum is expected to be open by February. Interested readers can visit and follow the Edwardsburg Area Historical Museum Facebook page for more information and updates.