It's been an institution in Westport for nearly 150 years.

Now, it's in dire need of the community's help.

Officials at the Westport Museum for History and Culture say the museum needs to raise $750,000 by the end of the year or else the building will be sold.

"Here we are at the 250th anniversary of the American founding, and it would be just such a shame if this were the year that we closed," says executive director Ramin Ganeshram.

It costs a lot to run a museum inside an antique house built over 200 years ago, museum officials say.

"Because it wasn't a purpose-built museum, the cost for things like HVAC to create temperature-controlled environments for our archival collections that go back into the 1670s, or our textiles, or our objects is very, very expensive," says Ganeshram.

The museum says it's spent the last six months pushing hard to get more money, but the funding landscape has contracted considerably.

Ganeshram says the museum is now making a desperate plea to the public.

"If we have to sell the building to continue our mission, we will do it," Ganeshram says. "But we felt we owed it to the public to let them know where we are, and see if they couldn't step forward."

The museum is hosting a fundraiser in November where it hopes to collect much-needed donations.

Ganeshram says the community is already stepping up to help.

"Like the Smithsonian that is having warnings slapped on it for telling the truth of American history," Ganeshram says. "There is a small cadre of people here that feel the same and are very vocal, but we know our supporters far outstrip them... there's so many more, and they're already stepping up, and we're incredibly grateful."