Historic Huguenot Street [NY]

Description

Historic Huguenot Street presents the story of 12 Huguenot refugees who travelled from southern Belgium and Northern France to the United States in 1678, where they bought land from the Esopus people and created a community in what is now New Paltz, New York. The six-acre site includes seven stone houses dating to the early 1700s, a burial ground, and a reconstructed 1717 stone church—all in their original setting. Architectural styles include Hudson Valley Dutch, early Georgian, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival. Archives focus on local history and genealogical documentation.

The site offers exhibits, period rooms for the 1700s and circa 1915, guided tours tailored to group interest, summer archaeology and educational programming, historic craft activities, a colonial-themed overnight program, a variety of educational modules which meet New York educational standards, and library and archival access. The website offers an online library catalog.

Nichols House Museum [MA]

Description

The Nichols House Museum presents life in Boston's Historic Beacon Hill circa 1900 via the 1804 Federal style townhouse of Rose Standish Nichols. Collections include portraiture, 17th through 19th century wooden furniture, art from Europe and Asia, oriental rugs, Flemish tapestries, and works by renowned 19th-century sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907). Ms. Nichols herself, born in 1872, is also of note. As an unmarried and self-supporting landscape gardener and an accomplished woodworker, she was a life-long proponent of women's rights.

The museum offers period rooms.

Bluegrass Heritage Museum [KY]

Description

The Bluegrass Heritage Museum presents the history of central Kentucky from the time of Eskippakithiki and European contact to the present day. Topics include agriculture, building history, quilting, Clark County, the military, and telephones. This is the only museum in the U.S. to discuss the history and impact of burley tobacco farming. The museum is located within a Romanesque Revival former clinic.

The museum offers exhibits. The website includes a word find activity.

Newton County Historical Society [AZ]

Description

The Newton County Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Newton County, Arizona. To this end, the society operates a museum and genealogical library with records from Newton and surrounding counties. Collections include the original post office boxes from the local post office, the county's first telephone switchboard, Native American artifacts, historical photographs, farming tools, and furniture.

The society offers museum exhibits.

Bryant Cottage State Historic Site

Description

Bryant Cottage was built in 1856 by Francis E. Bryant (1818–1889), a friend and political ally of Senator Stephen A. Douglas. According to Bryant family tradition, on the evening of July 29, 1858, Douglas and Abraham Lincoln conferred in the parlor of this house to plan the famous Lincoln-Douglas Debates. The one-story, four-room wood frame cottage has been restored and is interpreted as an example of middle-class life in mid-19th-century Illinois. The furniture on display is of the Renaissance Revival style, appropriate for a small-town family of the mid-19th century.

The site offers tours and occasional recreational and educational events.

Casa Navarro State Historic Site [TX]

Description

The half-acre Casa Navarro State Historic Site preserves the restored home of Tejano patriot José Antonio Navarro (1795–1871). Today, visitors can tour Navarro's adobe home furnished with period antiques, read copies of his writing, and discuss questions of history with informed interpreters. Casa Navarro is the only historic site in San Antonio dedicated to the interpretation of the Mexican history and heritage of Texas, as seen through the life of Navarro, a prominent San Antonio merchant, rancher, and statesman. According to the site, "Navarro served as a member of the Texas legislatures under Mexico, the Republic of Texas, and the State of Texas. Representing San Antonio Tejanos, he signed the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836. Navarro was the first Tejano to write about the history of Texas. He was an influential political figure during the momentous 55 years when the destiny of Texas was forged, from 1810 to 1865. Navarro is best known as 'the strongest defender of the rights of his people.'"

The site offers period rooms, tours, copies of Navarro's writings, and on-site docents.

Sandy Spring Slavery Museum and African Art Gallery [MD]

Description

The Sandy Spring Slavery Museum and African Art Gallery promotes cross-cultural communication, and presents the history of African Americans—from their ancestral ways of life in Africa, their cross-Atlantic voyages, and the Underground Railroad to the Civil Rights Movement and their accomplishments in the United States. Collections include a cross-section of a slaving clipper ship, textiles, instruments, furniture, and a cabin which depicts the living conditions of African Americans circa 1850 to 1870.

The museum offers exhibits and 90-minute tours. At least one week advance notice is required for admission.

Whaley House Museum [CA]

Description

The Whaley House Museum is an 1857 century Greek Revival residence, theater, county courthouse, and general store. The building's owner, Thomas Whaley, had originally traveled from New York to California with the Gold Rush before setting up operation of joint venture general store. The execution of Yankee Jim Robinson, who attempted grand larceny, took place on the grounds in 1852. The site interpretation targets 1868 to 1871.

The museum offers orientation presentations with question and answer sessions, self-guided tours, guided tours, ghost tours, and docents to address questions. Reservations are required for group and guided tours. The site is partially wheelchair accessible. The website offers transcriptions of historical documentation.