Bethel Historical Society, Regional Historic Center, and Historic Structures

Description

Founded in 1966, the Society provides visitors with a doorway to the past from its Regional History Center in historic Bethel Hill Village. The Society's Broad Street properties, the 1821 O’Neil Robinson House and the 1813 Dr. Moses Mason House, are both listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Open year-round, the Bethel Historical Society's Regional History Center offers more than a dozen period rooms and exhibit galleries where visitors can discover and explore the area's varied past. The Society's museum and library collections include a wide range of materials documenting the heritage of northern New England, with a major focus on western Maine and the White Mountain region of Maine and New Hampshire. Throughout the year, the Society provides lectures, courses, special exhibits, craft demonstrations, and educational activities for both members and the general public. The Robinson and Mason Houses also offer exhibits and tours.

The society offers research library access, lectures, and educational and recreational programs; the houses offer exhibits and tours.

Museums of Old York [ME]

Description

The Old York Historical Society, as the Museums of Old York, was founded more than 100 years ago to preserve the history and artifacts of York, Maine. Originally referred to as Gorgeana, York is one of New England's earliest colonial settlements. It also has the distinction of being the nation's first chartered city (1641) and first incorporated city (1642). Offering 37 period room settings and several galleries housed throughout nine historic museum buildings, the Museums of Old York showcases a wealth of early New England art, architecture, and decorative arts. The exhibits focus on the stories of southern Maine's men, women, and children and the world they created and lived in from the earliest settlement in the 1600s to the present day. Historic structures include the 1834 Remick Barn, the 1750 Jefferds' Tavern, the 1745 Old Schoolhouse, the 1742 Emerson-Wilcox House, the 1719 Old Gaol, the 1747 Ramsdell House, the 1740s John Hancock Wharf, the 1867 George Marshall Store, and the 1730 Elizabeth Perkins House.

The museums offer exhibits, tours, living history demonstrations, classes, and other educational and recreational events.

Louisville Fire History and Learning Center

Description

The center exists to educate the Louisville community in fire and home safety while preserving the city's rich history. The center's collection includes a rare 1892 Hale Water Tower, one of 12 chemically-raised water towers built in the United States by Hale; a working vintage communications system featuring the "Joker"; a photo collection illustrating the history of the nation's third oldest professional fire department; and memorabilia, including uniforms, helmets, badges, and tools of the profession.

The center offers exhibits.

Washington Crossing Historic Park [PA]

Description

The Park memorializes the historic crossing of the Delaware by George Washington and his troops during the American Revolution, while preserving and presenting a number of historic structures, including the 18th-century McConkey's Ferry Inn, the 18th-century Thompson-Neely House, and a variety of early-19th-century homes and structures.

The park offers exhibits, tours, a short film, classes, and educational and recreational events (including living history events).

Oneida Community Mansion House

Description

Built brick-by-brick in stages beginning in 1861 by the utopian Oneida Community (1848—1880), the 93,000-square-foot Mansion House testifies to the Community's core belief in the possibility of personal and social perfection. In plan and decoration it reflects popular architectural styles of the mid-19th century, but its large scale epitomizes the needs of a society that lived as one family with more than 300 members. Continually inhabited since 1862, the Mansion House features a museum, overnight lodging, residential apartments, the Zabroso Restaurant in the Community dining room, and banquet and meeting facilities. Century-old trees define the grounds where meandering paths lead to gardens that change with the seasons.

The house offers exhibits, tours, workshops, and educational and recreational programs.

Amish Country Homestead

Description

The Homestead is the home of the fictional Old Order Amish family of Daniel and Lizzie Fisher. Inside the Homestead, visitors learn of Amish traditions and practices, including Sunday church services held in the home. They tour the nine rooms on the first and second floors and learn up close how the Fisher family lives from day to day.

The homestead offers the "experiential theater" film Jacob's Choice and tours.

Cape May Point State Park and Lighthouse [NJ]

Description

The 157-foot-high lighthouse is still an aid to navigation. Visitors who climb the 199 steps to the top of the lighthouse are rewarded with a panoramic view of the Cape May peninsula. The first known lighthouse at Cape May was built in 1823. By 1847 a new lighthouse was erected on a high bluff; however, due to the encroaching sea and poor building design it was eventually dismantled. Built in 1859, the current lighthouse used the original bricks of the 1847 lighthouse. Also on the site is a World War II bunker, built as part of the Harbor Defense Project of 1942.

The site offers exhibits, tours, and educational and recreational events.

Guilford Keeping Society, Thomas Griswold House Museum, and Medad Stone Tavern [CT]

Description

The Society collects, preserves and shares the history and heritage of Guilford, CT, for present and future generations. The Society also maintains and operates the Thomas Griswold House Museum, which includes a c. 1774 New England saltbox house, an early blacksmith shop, a large barn filled with farm implements, two corn cribs, and a Victorian three-seat privy or outhouse. It further operates the Medad Stone Tavern, built in 1803 by Medad Stone.

The society offers research library access, classes, tours, and educational and recreational events; the buildings offer exhibits.

Columbia County Historical Society, Museum, and Historic Houses [New York]

Description

The Society is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the history of Columbia County, NY. The Society owns and operates three historic properties, open to the public during the summer season, and a museum, open year-round. The Columbia County Museum, open to the public since 1985, was originally built as a Masonic Temple in 1916. Today it houses the Society offices, research library, collections storage, and exhibit space. Volunteers and staff organize educational programs and aid in genealogical research as well as many other activities. The Society also operates the 1820s James Vanderpoel House and the 1737 Luykas Van Alen House.

The museums offer exhibits, tours, and research library access; the society offers lectures and educational and recreational programs.

Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park [FL]

Description

More than eight centuries ago, Native Americans inhabited the area around Lake Jackson. The park site was part of what is now known as the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex. Today, it encompasses six earthen temple mounds and one possible burial mound. The largest mound is 278 feet by 312 feet at the base and approximately 36 feet in height. Artifacts of pre-Columbian societies have been found here including copper breastplates, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and cloaks. Visitors can enjoy a short hike past the remains of an 1800s grist mill or picnic on an open grassy area near the largest mound.

The park offers tours and exhibits.