Andes Society for History and Culture and the Hunting Tavern [NY]

Description

The Andes Society for History and Culture seeks to preserve and protect the history of Andes, NY and the surrounding region. To this end, the society operates the Hunting Tavern, which has been restored to the styles of 1840 through 1850. Exhibits include the tap room where Sheriff Osman Steele enjoyed his final drink, the 1953 post office interior, and historic barn-raising tools.

The society offers period rooms, exhibits, tours, and collection access. Visits and collection access are by appointment only. Tavern tours are only offered between Labor Day and Columbus Day.

Cobblestone Society Museum [NY]

Description

The Cobblestone Society Museum is an outdoor history museum complex. An 1834 cobblestone church, 1836 parsonage, 1849 school, 1922 blacksmith shop, 1875 working printshop, 1838 harness shop, 1855 farming and agriculture exhibit hall, and a research library are located on site. The printshop, harness shop, and exhibit buildings originally served other functions. The dates indicate when the building was erected.

The museum offers period rooms, exhibits, demonstrations, tours, and research library access. Tours are by appointment May through October.

Martin House Complex [NY]

Description

The Martin House Complex of Buffalo, New York is one of architect Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpieces. Completed in 1907 for Mr. and Mrs. Darwin D. Martin, the complex includes the in D. Martin House, the George F. Barton House, the Martin pergola, conservatory, carriage house and Gardener’s cottage. Currently some of the buildings are undergoing renovation.

The site offers group tours and field trips for school groups. Tours offered include a basic tour (1 hr), an in-depth tour (2 hr), a Focus tour with a master docent, or a group tour. Online resources for teachers are available free of charge on the site's Education page.

Oberlin Heritage Center [OH]

Description

The Oberlin Heritage Center consists of three historic sites—the 1866 Monroe House, 1884 Jewett House, and 1836 School House. The center's goal is to preserve and share the history of Oberlin, OH, including its role in abolitionism, the Underground Railroad, women's rights movements, temperance, education, and the aluminum industry. The Italianate Monroe House was home to General Giles W. Shurtleff, leader of the first African American Civil War regiment from Ohio. The School House has been restored to a pioneer era appearance. The school offered lessons to all students, regardless of wide-spread segregation, as early as 1836. The Jewett House was owned by chemistry professor Frank Fanning Jewett and his wife Frances Gulick Jewett. The couple published works on public health, and rented living space to Oberlin College students.

The center offers guided house tours, group tours, guided history walks, step-on guides for bus tours, and research center access. The research center is open by appointment only, and it offers oral histories in addition to archival materials. Tours are approximately 75 minutes long. Reservations must be made at least one month in advance for groups of 10 or more. History walks are available by reservation only. Audio amplifiers are available. The historic homes are partially wheelchair accessible. The website offers historical photographs; historic games, crafts, and recipes; 1800s children's stories; information on the intersection of the heritage center and state educational standards; and suggested class activities.

Wickersham State Historic Site [AK]

Description

The Wickersham State Historic Site preserves one of the residences, built in 1898, of James Wickersham (1857-1939). Wickersham served as a judge and Congressional delegate for Alaska; and is widely recognized as a key figure in Alaska's development. The home now presents period furnishings, artifacts, and photographs related to Wickersham and the Gold Rush.

The site offers exhibits.

Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site [CO]

Description

The 230-acre Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site is a living history farm depicting Ute and Plains Indian life circa 1775 and life on an 1860s homestead, 1880s home and ranch, and 1907 Edwardian estate. Cows, horses, chickens, and sheep are kept on site.

The site offers exhibits, period rooms, a junior docent program, and concerts. The site is open between June 6th and August 16th.

Kimberly Crest House and Gardens [CA]

Description

Kimberly Crest is an 1897 French chateau style residence. The interior features French Revival settings, and the grounds contain Italian gardens. Residents have included J. Alfred Kimberly, who co-founded the Kimberly-Clark Foundation, a manufacturer of health and hygiene products.

The site offers exhibits, period rooms, guided tours, guided group tours, and guided school tours. The house and gardens are open September through July. Guests are requested to call prior to their visit to ascertain that the site will be open.

Willa Cather State Historic Site [NE]

Description

Willa Cather, Nebraska's Pulitzer Prize-winning author, spent her formative years in Red Cloud. Many of the scenes and characters in her writings are based on the people, streets, and landscapes Cather encountered here in her youth. Visitors to the site encounter eight period structures that influenced her writing, including her childhood home; the Catholic and Episcopal churches; the Garber Bank; the Burlington Depot; and the Pavelka Farmstead, home of Annie Pavelka, the basis for the title character of Cather's most famous novel, My Antonia.

A second website for the site, maintained by the Cather Foundation, can be found here.

The site offers exhibits, tours, research library access, and occasional recreational and educational events.

Northern Indiana Historical Society and Center for History

Description

The Northern Indiana Historical Society operates the Center for History. The center consists of a Victorian mansion, a circa 1820 cottage, local and Notre Dame history exhibits, and a children's museum. The 1896 Romanesque Queen Anne mansion Copshaholm contains its original furnishings. The residence was home to J.D. Oliver, president of the Oliver Chilled Plow Works. The grounds hold of 2.5-acres of gardens, restored to their 1915 appearance.

The center offers exhibits, period rooms, guided tours of Copshaholm and the Worker's Home, student exhibit and house tours, summer camps, educational programs for students, and archive access. Neither Copshaholm nor the Worker's Home is wheelchair accessible. Appointments are recommended for archive access. The cottage is only open during annual educational events. The website offers an mp3 self-guided West Washington Street walking tour and a curriculum guide for Copshaholm.

The children's museum is currently closed for renovation.