January 2000
Newsletter
Vol. 3, Issue 1
From the President's Desk
We are all standing on the threshold to the next millennium. What we do with the opportunity will be up to each one of us.
The museum's pathway through 2001 has been set by the guidelines of the three-year, long-range plan. Some of our objectives include:
- Working with the school district to promote active participation in AAMI and interest in local history.
- Having the museum open one or two days during the week in addition to the second Sunday of the month.
- Distributing brochures and marketing literature in the extended region to promote AAMI.
- Continue hosting special displays and speakers from the community as well as those from outside the community.
- Increase membership and membership revenues by 25% each year.
- Establish a working relationship through cooperative programs with other museums and organizations in the region.
- Establish an endowment fund by the end of 2001.
- Provide proper care and storage environment for our collection.
- Involve the membership in activities, programs, and everyday operations through field trips, Docent Training Program, and volunteerism for various jobs and duties.
- Host a signature fund-raising event for AAMI.
You, the membership, have helped to make the museum what it is today and you will be a vital part of its future. Each person does make a difference. Together, we can make Allison-Antrim Museum an outstanding, respected and recognizable organization not only in Franklin County but also in the extended region.
Bonnie A. Shockey
Guest Editorials
Allison-Antrim Annals would like to start a new column in the newsletter - "Guest Editorial". If you have information on a historic topic of interest to the Greencastle-Antrim area, we would welcome an article. I know there are many of you with a wealth of information, stories and anecdotes about our great history. Please contact Bonnie at 597-9325 if you are interested or for further information.
Election of Board Officers
At the December 9, 1999 board of directors meeting, the following people were elected to these positions: Bonnie A. Shockey, President; Dr. James H. Craig, Jr., Vice President; Harry S. Myers, Secretary; Kelly A. Scott, Treasurer. Glen Cump holds the position of Historian.
Robert "Red" Pensinger asked to be relieved of his position as Vice President but will remain on the board of directors. Red was Allison-Antrim Museum's first president and held that position for two years. He has since served in the capacity of Vice President. His help and guidance has been invaluable to me during my presidency.
Our New Look for the New Millennium
If you have been a member of AAMI for a while, you have already noticed the new format for the Allison-Antrim Annals. The amount of information to share with the membership is increasing greatly so we decided to go to more of a newspaper layout.
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We are keeping our signature ivory color and adding our Scottish Thistle logo to the letterhead banner. |
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Who can tell us what the image is that we are now using to separate articles?
Archealogical Dig
PA Chapter 27 of the Society of Archaeologists will be holding their winter monthly meetings in the museum basement. They will be washing, cleaning and then assembling the pieces of artifacts found during the fall digs.
Museum members are welcome to attend. For more information, please call Doug Stine at 762-8629.
Please visit the museum to see some of the artifacts found. The items can be seen in the display case in the dining room.
February is African-American History Month
Allison-Antrim Museum has coordinated a month of events and presentations concentrated on the African-American history of the Greencastle-Antrim area. With the help of Levester Taylor and others to be announced, there will be two presentations - one for the general public on February 10 and one for the entire student body of the middle school on February 11, 2000. Check the Calendar of Events for details.
The restoration of the museum's collection of 15 Walter Washington Smith paintings has been completed and the museum will have a first-time exhibit of the entire collection of Smith paintings - several of which have not been seen by the public. Our thanks go to Tom and Alice Brumbaugh for making it all possible.
Docent Training Workshop
The November issue of the Annals gave an outline of the Docent Training Workshop.
The dates for the docent training will be Saturday, March 18 and 25, 2000 from 8:30 am - 3:30 pm at the museum. We are now taking registrations for the workshop. Please call Bonnie at 597-9325 or Ted at 597-7086 or email to register or for more information. If you don't call us, we may call you. Please join us for an exciting learning opportunity through which you will be able to help the museum during open house times.
Please remember that if you become a docent for AAMI you will be able to set how many times per year you wish to help during the open house times.
Gifts
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Once every five years, the Greencastle-Antrim Lioness Club celebrates their incorporation by making a donation or gift to an area organization. To mark the 1999 five-year anniversary they decided to give a corner cupboard to the museum in which to display the complete set of Haviland china, that was originally bought at Hostetter's and given to the museum by Robert and Nancy Pensinger. The search for just the right corner cupboard took much longer than anyone expected. But patience paid off and we finally found an American walnut corner cupboard (probably made in Pennsylvania or Ohio) that dates to the 1830's or 1840's which is within the time period of the house - 1860. It is seven feet one inch tall with 38 inch sides and has double blind doors (top and bottom). Please stop by to see the cupboard and admire the china that now has a permanent home.
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A very sincere "thank you" to the Greencastle-Antrim Lioness
Club for their generosity and service to the community. |
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Allison-Antrim Museum is also the recipient of another gift. Jean Oliver, director, has kindly given a computer to the museum. Once the office is up and running, computer records will be able to be kept at the museum. We very much appreciate this charitable gift. |
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Recent Acquisitions
 | A Walck fork was a gift from W. B. "Bud" Marshall. It is a nice complementary piece to the Walck grain cradle. |
| Two brass wall sconces, also a gift from William "Bud" Marshall. |
| Henry P. Fletcher's chafing dish - a gift from Nan Conrad Flaherty. |
| Two pictures - one of the Maharajah Devi Singh and the other of his two sons. The pictures were given to Henry P. Fletcher during his ambassadorship to India. A gift from Tom Brumbaugh. |
| A "Warner's Safe Nervine, Rochester, NY" medicine bottle. It was found years ago in a trash pile near where the barn stood on the Irwin property. It is a gift from Tom Brumbaugh. |
| Various deeds from the early 1900s of property in the downtown area including the National Hotel. These were given by Charles and Sue Eckstine. |
Wish List
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| Combination TV/VCR so that handicapped visitors can see the second floor exhibits and for viewing the Reminiscing Series video tapes. |
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| Period Ceiling Hall Light for Upstairs |
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| Small Dress Forms (Size 7 or smaller) |
What's Been Happening
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| Bonnie completed a multi-page museum financial information survey for the American Association of Museums. Information received and analyzed by AAM provides them with the data needed to strengthen their continued mandate for increased funding and support for the museum community. |
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| Bonnie was asked to write an article on the museum for the Franklin County Coalition's December issue of its newsletter, Franklin Green. |
Calendar of Events
Sunday, January 9, 2000: Open House, 1 pm - 4 pm; antique beaded bag exhibit by Marie Campbell of Greencastle.
Tuesday, January 11 & February 8, 2000: PA Chapter 27 Archaeological Society meeting; 7 - 9 pm in the museum basement; washing and cleaning of artifacts. Museum members are welcome to attend and help. Please call Doug Stine at 762-8629 for more information.
Thursday, January 13, 2000: Quarterly meeting, 7 pm Evangelical Lutheran Church; Bob King speaking on "An Exercise in Frustration: Franklin's Defense of the Pennsylvania Frontier".
Thursday, February 10, 2000: Monthly meeting, 7 pm Evangelical Lutheran Church. Presentation by Levester Taylor and others to be announced on "The African-American Experience in Greencastle-Antrim".
Sunday, February13, 2000: Open House, 1 pm - 4 pm; an exhibit of all 15 Walter Washington Smith paintings including several never seen by the public.
Thursday, March 9, 2000: Monthly meeting, 7 pm Evangelical Lutheran Church; Roger Keller speaking on "Famous Myths of American History".
Sunday, March 12, 2000: Open House, 1 pm - 4 pm; Colleen Mastrangelo presenting historic American music selections on guitar.
Tuesday, March 14, 2000: PA Chapter 27 Archaeological Society meeting, 7 - 9 pm in the museum basement, assembly of artifact pieces. Museum members are welcome to attend and help. Please call Doug Stine at 762-8629 for more information.
Saturday, March 18, 2000: Docent Training Workshop at the museum; details TBA
Saturday, March 25, 2000: Docent Training Workshop at the museum; details TBA
Have You Seen…
the farming instrument manufactured in Antrim Township that was used for cutting fields of grain? In what area of Antrim Township did the local family have its manufacturing building?
The answer to November's Have You Seen… is the Clover Header. It was used to make the second cutting of clover which was used for reseeding the following year.
Did You Know…
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| Approximately 865 million museum visits take place per year, which averages out to 2.3 million visits to American museums per day |
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| This number reflects a 50% increase over a decade ago |