Coastal Heritage Society [GA]

Description

The Coastal Heritage Society is dedicated to preserving the history of Savannah, Georgia, and the Georgia coastline. The society runs four historic sites, the Savannah History Museum, the Roundhouse Museum, Old Fort Jackson, and the recently completed Battlefield Park, which commemorates the 1779 Battle of Savannah. The society also boasts C.S.S. Georgia, a Civil War Ironside that was used as a floating battery for Savannah's protection.

The society offers guided tours of its historic properties and the C.S.S Georgia, field trip programs, and special events. The website offers visitor information, historical information regarding the society's historic properties, and a calendar of events.

Museum Village [NY]

Description

Museum Village is a living history site depicting 19th-century life. The site includes a replica 1805 schoolhouse, general store, drug store, 18th-century cabin, weave shop, candle shop, broom shop, blacksmith shop, wagon shop, print shop, pottery shop, costume exhibit building, and natural history building. The natural history building houses a mastodon skeleton.

The village offers interactive and traditional exhibits, costumed interpreters, demonstrations, hands-on activities, a summer day camp, five curriculum-based workshops for students, and picnic tables. Workshops topics include candle making, open hearth cooking, stenciling, printing, and natural dyeing. The site is only partially wheelchair accessible.

Locust Grove: The Samuel Morse Historic Site [NY]

Description

The 180-acre Locust Grove is the estate of Samuel F.B. Morse (1791-1872), patent holder on the electromagnetic telegraph and creator of an early version of Morse code. The site contains an Italianate villa, housing a collection of European and American art and decorative arts. The grounds hold gardens. Exhibits include telegraph technology and paintings by Morse himself. Morse lived on the estate between 1847 and his death in 1872.

The site offers an introductory film, exhibits, period rooms, five curriculum-based educational programs, a summer day camp, guided tours of the villa, 100-minute group gardens and grounds tours, 2-hour group villa and gardens tours, and trails. Reservations are required for all group tours.

Old Dutch Church Heritage Museum [NY]

Description

The Old Dutch Church Heritage Museum presents the history of a working Reformed Protestant church founded in 1659. The church dominies actively promoted the Patriot cause in the Revolutionary War and the Union cause during the Civil War—with the site being used as a state armory and field hospital in the 1860s. The earliest grave on site dates to 1710. The current structure dates to 1859.

The church offers exhibits and archival access. Appointments are required for archival access.

Hay House [GA]

Description

The 1859 Italian Renaissance Revival-style Hay House is a historic house museum, which largely contains pieces from 1926 to 1962. In those years, the Hay family occupied the house. Parks Lee Hay founded Banker's Health and Life Insurance Company. At the time of construction, the house was already outfitted with hot and cold running water, an early intercom system, indoor bathrooms, heating, and a ventilation system. Tours focus on these features and on the architecture itself.

The house offers period rooms, guided tours, traveling trunks for kindergarten through eighth-grade students, nine curriculum-based programs for kindergarten through high school students, homeschool programs, and educational programs for teachers.

Friendship Firehouse Museum [VA]

Description

The Friendship Fire Company was established in 1774, and was the first volunteer fire company in Alexandria. The current firehouse was built in 1855, remodeled in 1871, and renovated in 1992. The Engine Room on the first floor houses hand-drawn fire engines, leather water buckets, axes, sections of early rubber hose, and other historic fire-fighting equipment. An exhibition discusses the development of firefighting technology and other fire companies that have served the citizens of Alexandria. The second floor Meeting Room is furnished the way it was during the late 19th century, the real heyday of Friendship as a community organization. On view here are various ceremonial objects such as parade uniforms, capes, banners, and other regalia. George Washington's association with the Friendship Fire Company, honored by members for over 200 years, is symbolized by several images of him throughout the museum.

The museum offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational events.

Bangor Museum and Center for History [ME]

Description

The Bangor Museum and Center for History presents the history of events which occurred within the boundaries of the modern state of Maine. Collections include more than 10,000 photographic artifacts; 800 examples of historical costume; and a strong collection of Civil war artifacts, which includes Union officer Joshua Chamberlain's sword, letters written by Hannibal Hamlin, and an apothecary chest. The museum also operates the Thomas A. Hill House and Civil War Museum. Display highlights include furniture and artifacts which belonged to Hannibal Hamlin (1809-1891), Vice President under Abraham Lincoln. The Greek Revival residence dates to 1835.

The museum offers ghost walking tours and Mount Hope Cemetery tours. The Thomas A. Hill House offers exhibits and guided tours led by costumed interpreters. The website offers a virtual tour of Bangor's historic architectural sites.

The main building is currently closed for renovations. The Thomas A. Hill House and Civil War Museum is still open to the public.

Grover Cleveland Birthplace [NJ]

Description

In 1837, Grover Cleveland was born in this house while his father, the Reverend Richard Falley Cleveland, was the minister to the First Presbyterian Church of Caldwell. Most of the first floor rooms portray the house as it was in 1837. Among the artifacts on display from Cleveland's early years are his cradle and original family portraits. The exhibit gallery features a striking display of artifacts that reflect the financial and political success Cleveland achieved during the last quarter of the 19th century. Here, the mud-slinging campaign of 1884, the public's intense interest in his wife and children, and America's political climate throughout his split terms of office are explored.

The site offers tours, exhibits, educational programs, and research library access.

Hawaiian Historical Society [HI]

Description

The Hawaiian Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Hawaii and the Pacific region. The society places particularly emphasis on the creation of scholarly publications. The society's archival collections are strongest in 19th-century materials and include voyage information, items in the Hawaiian language, newspapers, manuscripts, photographs, maps, and pamphlets.

The society offers access to archival collections for research.

Fort Ontario State Historic Site [NY]

Description

The Fort Ontario State Historic Site presents Fort Ontario as it appeared between 1868 and 1872. The site interprets civilian, officer, family, and enlisted life at the fort in 1868 and 1869. During the Holocaust, the fort served as an emergency refugee center.

The site offers exhibits, costumed interpreters, demonstrations, audio-visual programs, educational services, guided tours, self-guided tours, interpretive signs, re-enactments, and a picnic area.