The owners of the Vermont Marble Museum indicated Monday that they will move forward with plans to close the museum now that an effort to find a buyer has failed.

The Preservation Trust of Vermont came up short in its effort to raise $880,000 to buy the Proctor museum, which chronicled the history of the Vermont Marble Co.

Faced with an end-of-the-year deadline, the nonprofit historical group was able to raise only $200,000.

The Preservation Trust came forward this summer with the fundraising offer after the owners of the museum, Marsha and Martin Hemm, announced they would close the museum at the end of the year.

The Hemms said in an email Monday that they and their employees “are very saddened that we are not able to continue on the road that we had planned with the Preservation Trust. But we are extremely appreciative for the immense amount of work that they did on behalf of the museum and the collection.”

The Hemms said they would continue their “efforts to find the proper homes for the museum records and artifacts.”

The museum’s gift shop remains open part time most days during the Christmas season.