Fort Bedford Museum [PA]

Description

Old Fort Bedford was a British stockade built in 1758 as part of the French and Indian War campaign against the French at Fort Duquesne. After several failed attempts in the early 1750s, the British launched a major offensive against Fort Duquesne in 1758. Facing the formidable task of crossing the Allegheny Mountains and the treat of attack, numerous stockades were built along the way west. Fort Bedford was constructed as a key fortification along the military path Forbes Road and served as the staging area for the successful campaign. After the war Fort Bedford stood until the 1770s, used as a British outpost on the frontier and as a refuge from Indian attack as westward migration increased in the 18th century. Today, a reconstructed blockhouse structure houses a large-scale model of the original fort. The Museum displays Native American artifacts collected from the region. Thousands of household items dating back 100 to more than 200 years ago from flintlock rifles to early clothing to antique hand tools help to recreate the atmosphere of pioneer days on the frontier of western Pennsylvania.

The museum offers exhibits.

Historic Annapolis Foundation, HistoryQuest, and Paca House [MD]

Description

The Foundation operates several historic sites, including HistoryQuest and the Paca House. HistoryQuest features a comprehensive welcome center, offering tickets and reservations for tours, excursions, venues, and other events. Exhibits tell the stories of those who have lived and worked in Annapolis through the decades. The Paca House, restored home of William Paca, signer of the Declaration of Independence and Revolutionary-era Governor of Maryland, stands today as one of the most elegant landmarks in Annapolis.

The foundation offers tours and recreational and educational events; HistoryQuest offers tours and exhibits; the Paca House offers tours and occasional recreational and educational events.

Historic Lyme Village [OH]

Description

The Village incorporates a number of restored 1800s historical buildings. These include the 1880–1882 John Wright Mansion, the 1860s Merry School House, the 1848 Detterman Church, the 1836 Seymour House, several log homes and barns, a general store, a hardware store, a post office, and an ice house.

The site offers exhibits, tours, demonstrations, workshops, and recreational and educational events (including living history events).

Historical Society of Greater Port Jefferson and Mather House Museum [NY]

Description

The Society operates the Mather House Museum. Several historical structures, including the 1840-1860 Mather House, house exhibits related to local history, including displays of toys, spinning wheels, and quilts; a collection of items from old-fashioned barber shops, general stores, and butcher shops; Port Jefferson shipbuilding and sailmaking artifacts; and antique clocks.

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

Lincoln County Historical Society and Kyne House Museum [Kansas]

Description

The Society maintains this museum in an 1885 limestone house, home to early pioneers Timothy and Bridget Kyne. Among the featured pieces are a pie safe and table that were built by Timothy, as was the house itself. Two additions provide more display space, and the one-room Topsy School is also in the museum complex.

The museum offers exhibits.

Cottonwood Ranch State Historic Site

Description

John Fenton Pratt had no idea when he started building his ranch that it would someday tell the story of his family and his native Yorkshire, England. Visitors can tour the grounds and house of this relatively unchanged rural ranch set in the South Solomon River Valley of the High Plains. Through Pratt’s photo collection, stained glass windows, and examples of Yorkshire architecture, visitors will learn about businessman and sheep rancher Pratt, other early Kansas ranchers, and their stories.

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

Nantucket Historical Association, Whaling Museum, and Historic Sites [MA]

Description

The Association operates several museums and historic sites, including the Whaling Museum, Hadwen House, Oldest House, Old Mill, Old Gaol, Quaker Meeting House, and the Hose-cart House. The Museum displays exhibits tracing the history of the New England whaling industry. The Hadwen House is a Greek Revival mansion built in 1845 by whaling merchant and silver retailer William Hadwen. Also called the Jethro Coffin House, the Oldest House is the oldest residence on Nantucket. Built as a wedding gift in 1686 for Jethro Coffin and Mary Gardner, it is the sole surviving structure from the island's original 17th-century English settlement. The Old Mill, built in 1746 by Nathan Wilbur, a Nantucket sailor who had spent time in Holland, is the oldest functioning mill in the country. The Old Gaol was opened in 1806; the wooden structure represents colonial architecture with exceptional reinforcements. The Quaker (Friends) Meeting House was erected in 1838 and originally served as a Friends School for the Wilburite Sect. The Fire Hose-cart House is the last remaining 19th-century firehouse on the island, dating from 1886.

The association offers tours, lectures, classes, research library access, and recreational and educational events; the Museum offers exhibits; the Hadwen House offers tours; the Oldest House offers tours; the Old Mill offers tours and demonstrations; the Old Gaol is open to the public; the Quaker Meeting House is open to the public and offers lectures; the Hose-cart House is open to the public.

Nemours Mansion and Gardens [DE]

Description

Nemours is the 300-acre country estate of the late industrialist and philanthropist Alfred I. duPont. The mansion was built from 1909 to 1910 and is a fine example of a French chateau in the style of Louis XVI. The 47,000-sq.-ft. mansion looms over the surrounding formal gardens and is furnished with fine antiques, famous works of art, beautiful tapestries, and other treasures. The grounds surrounding the mansion extend for one third of a mile along the main vista from the house, and are among the finest examples of French-style gardens in the United States.

The mansion offers tours.

Pittock Mansion [OR]

Description

The Pittock Mansion was home to Portland pioneers Henry and Georgiana Pittock from 1914 to 1919. During the late 1800s and the early 1900s, their lives and work paralleled the growth of Portland from a small Northwest town site to a thriving city with a quarter million population. With its eclectic architectural design and richly decorated interior, including family artifacts, the Pittock Mansion stands today as a living memorial of this family's contributions to the blossoming of Portland and its people.

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

Newsome House Museum and Cultural Center [VA]

Description

At the turn of the 20th century, the J. Thomas Newsome family moved to Newport News. In this industrial city, he established a law practice and prospered as part of the postwar South's new urban, black middle class. Through self-determination and a solid education, Newsome (1869–1942) became a respected attorney, journalist, churchman, and civic leader. His elegant Queen Anne residence served as the hub of the local black community from which he led the fight for social justice within the commonwealth. Today, this restored 1899 Victorian landmark continues to be devoted to the expression of black cultural and historical themes.

The center offers exhibits, educational programs, and occasional educational and recreational events (including living history events).