was originally founded to manufacture armor for the Kings of England. The agreement outlined plans for the Frazier Museum to borrow and display arms and armament from the Royal Armouries. It was the first time that a British national museum had engaged in an ongoing collaboration with an organization beyond its shores. Construction on the museum started in 2001 and ended in 2003. Mr. Frazier provided most of the funds for the $32 million project and backed the loans that were taken out to finance the development. Frazier Historical Arms Museum The Frazier Historical Arms Museum opened to the public on May 22, 2004. The initial collection consisted of roughly 1,500 objects from the personal collection of Owsley Brown Frazier, dating from 1492 to World War I, and approximately 350 objects borrowed from the Royal Armouries, dating from 1066 to the 1960s. Combined the collections included guns, cannons, swords, daggers, arrows, and other historical arms and armor sourced from Flanders, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, as well as life-size tableaux of mannequins and horse figures depicting battle scenes from European history. Frazier International History Museum On May 17, 2006, the museum changed its name to the Frazier International History Museum, a nod to the multinational origins of its collection. That year, the museum received another influx of foreign arms and military artifacts from the Royal Armouries. Over time, the museum began to shift its focus away from war and weaponry toward more general topics of state, national, and global history. The permanent collection was gradually de-emphasized as the Frazier moved toward larger, temporary exhibitions. In August 2010, the Frazier unveiled the Bloedner Monument, a limestone marker that is thought to be the nation's oldest surviving Civil War memorial. Acquired as a long-term loan from the National Cemetery Administration, the historic monument honors the soldiers of the U.S. 32nd Indiana Volunteer Regiment who died at the Battle of Rowlett's Station. In October 2010, the Frazier introduced a theatrical performance series based on the works of Gothic horror fiction writer Edgar Allan Poe. The series became An Evening With Poe, an annually recurring, week-long Halloween tradition. The performances were adapted and staged by Tony Dingman, Kelly Moore, and Eric Frantz, three of the Frazier's Teaching Artists, and featured live music performed by The Tamerlane Trio. Frazier History Museum In 2011, the museum was renamed the Frazier History Museum. In May