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In the Spring 2000 issue of "Tapestry", the newsletter of the Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations, an article appeared on a study of Pennsylvania museums in 1997. The report releases measurable ways, economically and educationally, in which museums contribute to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as on a local level. These facts will aid Pennsylvania museums, large and small, in attaining grant money from foundations, corporations, individuals, and government. The statistics say a lot about how museums positively impact their community and state. Quoting from the article, "A primary objective of this study was to establish baseline statistics that would enable the museum community in Pennsylvania to demonstrate improved performance and capacity to serve the public over time."

Of about 500 of the almost 1000 museums in Pennsylvania that met the minimum qualifications for participating in the research study, 242 museums actually participated. Because Allison-Antrim Museum was not open in 1997, we could not participate in the study that was conducted in early 1999 by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Utah for the PFHMO. Even though AAMI did not qualify to participate, the results of the research study will still be available for us to use when applying for grants.

Statistics and other information from the study include the following. Museums in Pennsylvania are valuable and popular resources in their communities. They improve the quality of life for the residents of and visitors to Pennsylvania by being sources of information, education, and entertainment because they collect archival documents, artifacts, and art and are the trustees of local, state, and national heritage.

There were more than 14 million visitors to the participating 242 museums in this study in 1997. Each year, since 1995, there has been an increase of 2% annually in the number of visitors to museums.

The type of museums most frequently visited were historic houses and sites with over 3.1 million total visitors in 1997. But, zoos and science and technology centers were the most popular individual attractions.

As is Allison-Antrim, more than half the museums that participated in this study are free to the public. What better value can you find for a cultural and educational experience?

Museums directly affect the local economy by spending money within the community on operating expenses.

And, lastly but most importantly, the study verified that, "Volunteers are integral to the successful operation of these museums, and the lifeblood for many." In those museums responding to the study, 17,793 volunteers gave their time to work at the museums in many capacities. This verifies what I’ve known for several years – each of you is very important, in your own way, to the everyday, week to week, month to month, year to year existence of Allison-Antrim Museum.

The genealogy section is very small at this time. We welcome the donation of any family genealogy books, papers, or information. To date we have the Crunkleton Family History and a brief family history of Abraham Lincoln Bear and the Bentz family of Greencastle and Kauffman Station.

We also have video oral history tapes. Some are from our Reminiscing Series started during Old Home Week 1998 that include: Education – Adam Byers; Growing Up in the Country – Tom Shook; Auctioning – Ed Stull; Growing Up in Greencastle – The Williams’ Sisters; Old Home Week – Paul Faust & Dick Fisher; World War II – Harold Zimmerman & Bill Diehl; Henry P. Fletcher – Glen Cump; Walter Washington Smith – Peggy Lewis & Levester Taylor; Baseball in Greencastle – Charles Barkdoll & Robert Fitz;

A set of video tapes entitled Living History Series hosted by Bob Harrison. The topics covered include: Franklin Co and the Revolution – Charles Stoner; Settlement of the Falling Spring – Mrs. T. H. Krebs Benchoff; Pre-Civil War and Slavery – Charles Stoner and William Conrad; After the Civil – Industrial Boom – Charles Stoner and William Conrad; Indians and the Frontier – Murray Kauffman, Charles Stoner, and William Conrad; Civil War Hits Franklin County – William Conrad and Ted Alexander; Tour of Old Jail in Chambersburg, PA – Frank Bender.

Video tapes of five of the general meeting guest speakers are available. They are Nan Conrad Flaherty speaking on the "History of Education in Greencastle-Antrim"; Levester Taylor and Roy Flythe on the "African-American History of Greencastle"; Roger Keller on the "Myths of American History"; Frank Mowen on the "Minstrel Show Tradition"; and John Stains speaking on "The History of the Masonic Movement in Franklin County and Greencastle".

At the end of May, our security monitoring for the museum was switched over to Glessner Alarm and Communications Systems. Robert Glessner has offered to take care of the museum’s security needs and service on a gratis basis. Allison-Antrim Museum is very appreciative of this and is secure in knowing that the museum is under reliable, professional surveillance when no one is present in the house.

Moving of Boxwood

About six weeks ago, the huge round ball of boxwood, next to the curb on Ridge Avenue, was moved, courtesy of Bartlett Tree Experts. Its new resting place is at the left end of the row of boxwoods that parallel Ridge Avenue.

The boxwood needed to be moved for a couple reasons. Number one, it obstructed the view looking north when pulling out of the driveway. Number two it was sitting right where the sidewalk will be.

Under the guidance and expertise of Scott Diffenderfer, certified arborist and local manager at the Chambersburg office, Barlett has offered to take on the care of our ancient boxwoods. In addition, a survey and journal of the trees and plants on the property will be done, and a landscaping design will be developed suitable for a house of the 1860’s. It has been a very long time since the boxwoods have had any special care, of which they are in need.

Allison-Antrim Museum is very grateful to Bartlett Tree Experts for their interest, time, and help in the maintenance of our trees and boxwoods.

A sequential series of digital photographs of the moving can be found on the AAMI Web site homepage at www.greencastlemuseum.org.

We encourage your patronage of Glessner Alarm and Communications Systems and Bartlett Tree Experts.

July of each year marks the beginning of our membership campaign. Although AAMI’s fiscal year runs January 1 to December 31, the membership year is from July 1 to June 30.

It wasn’t until April of 1997 that we received our 501(c)(3) status that permitted us to solicit donations and membership dues. There was great interest from the community to support the museum through membership donations and we did not want to delay, for eight months until January 1998, the commencement of the first membership campaign.

So, that is why we have an unusual membership year. Letters of invitation to renew will be received by the first part of July. We encourage each of you to renew your membership and to invite friends and family, who are not members, to join us.

• We could not find any information on James and Annie Carr and their sons, Jacob Sherman Carr and Charles Hugh Carr. They lived near Browns Mill in 1868 and James may have been a school teacher. Charles Hugh Carr lived in Chambersburg.
• We were asked for any information on Col. James Watson who fought in the Revolutionary War. We found out that Col. Watson was Greencastle’s first postmaster; they were Presbyterians; and there is a family burial plot in the old Moss Spring Cemetery where he is buried. One of Col. Watson’s fifth great-granddaughters and her mother will be visiting Greencastle this summer.
• From Washington, D.C., an inquiry about Henry Beatty, Sr. and his ancestors, of Fort Loudon.
• AAMI was invited to fill out an information Web page form and submit it to www.museum.com. It is an international web database of museums originating in Duesseldorf, Germany. We have also provided a link to their site. Check it out when you’re online.

Allison-Antrim Museum would like to start an annual signature fund raiser. Plans are just in the beginning stages and we are in need of a few people to get the foundation started. Shirley Baker, AAMI director, has agreed to work on the committee. It will take time to plan and do it correctly the first year. We are looking long term to at least 2001 or possibly 2002 for the first event. Some of our ideas include it being held outdoors on the museum property in early fall, a Civil War theme since the house was built in 1860, activities of the era for children and adults to do, something involving walnuts because A. L. Irwin called this his "Walnut Hill Property. If you have an interest and would like to help, please call 597-9325.

• Show globe, window jar, large coffee grinder, Carl family cradle, Carl’s Drug Store ledger from during the prohibition era, numerous early 1900’s children’s toys. A gift from Mrs. Katherine Carl.
• Butchering Kettle and Utensils from the Abraham Lincoln Bear family that lived on the corner of West Franklin and South Carlisle Streets. A gift from Patricia Muck, great-granddaughter of Abraham L. Bear.
• Audio Tapes of William P. Conrad and slides of historic places around the Greencastle-Antrim area. A gift from the Greencastle-Antrim School District
• From Teressa Phillippy Brinton the Phillippy family quilt made in the early 1860’s. See the article.
• It has arrived - a restored, three-seater outhouse with a basket of corncobs, a Sears and Roebuck catalog, and other privy accoutrements. A gift from Roy and Ada Leckron. See accompanying photograph.

AAMI’s first textile acquisition, is the Phillippy family quilt. It is a gift from Teressa Phillippy Brinton. Her great-grandmother, Mrs. Sowers, made the quilt in the early 1860’s while she lived with her daughter, Sophia Sowers Herrman in the New Franklin area.

During the time when Confederate troops occupied this area in 1863 on their way to and from the Battle of Gettysburg, local residents took their best horses and valuables to the mountains for safekeeping. It was in this quilt that the Sowers’ and Herrman’s silver and other valuables were wrapped for protection. When the valuables were retrieved from the mountains, there was a dark spot on the quilt.

Sadly, the story does not end here. The Confederate soldiers camped on the farm pillaged the Herrman’s meat, lard, flour, cornmeal, and canned goods. As they left, they set fire to the barn and put poison into the cistern.

Sophia’s husband, and two of her three children died within a week after the cistern was poisoned. Sophia’s mother, Mrs. Sowers, also died. Sophia and her third child, Milt, who she was nursing at the time, survived.

Abraham Hassler, a neighbor, brought his wife to help Sophia. Mrs. Hassler soon died after drinking the poisoned cistern water.

Abraham Hassler and his first wife had two daughters and five sons – Haddie, Soloman, John, David, Paul, and the last two names unknown. The oldest child, Aunt Haddie, told this story to Teressa Phillippy Brinton.

Abraham Hassler and Sophia married in October 1865. They had three children – Will, Anna Mary, and a baby that died.

Anna Mary married John Grove Phillippy and they had six children – Roy, Teressa, Mary, Samuel, Ada, and Harold.

Teressa Phillippy Brinton will be 107 years old in November.

Sunday, July 9: Open House; 1 – 4 pm; From times past - advertising pieces from Greencastle-Antrim businesses

Thursday, July 13: Quarterly meeting; 6:30 pm; Antrim House Restaurant; Reservations required by July 10 by calling 597-9325; Jerry Halsworth speaking on George Washington on the Frontier - PA;

August 10, 2000: Monthly meeting, 7 pm, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Paul Chiles -Evolution of American Shoulder Arms

August 13, 2000: Open House, 1 – 4 pm, TBA

August 17, 2000: Board of Directors meeting rescheduled for this date at 9am

August 26, 2000: House clean museum, 9 am - ??; See HELP NEEDED

September 10: Open House, 1 – 4 pm, TBA

September 14: Monthly meeting; 7 pm; Evangelical Lutheran Church; Ted Alexander - When War Passed This Way

the doctor’s instrument containing a razor blade? What was it used for?

The answer to May’s "Have You Seen…" is they were wooden nuts and bolts used in the construction of used in the original Martin’s Mill Covered Bridge.

After their families, Americans ranked authentic artifacts in history museums and historic sites most significant in creating a strong connection to the past.

• Bonnie completed a grant application to the Chambersburg Area Council for the Arts. The application is for money given through Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts. The request was for money to be used for the purchase of a combination TV/VCR that will enable handicapped visitors to view the upstairs exhibits and for display panels on which to hang art work. Currently, we have to borrow display panels.
• Bonnie spent over two hours with Trent Von Blaricom from APV Lighting Designs, Washington, D.C., going over the possibilities for properly lighting the exhibits and the museum house.

• When you see them, say ‘thank you’ to Dottie Kay and Marie Eshleman for cleaning out and planting the kitchen porch flowerbed. We appreciate not only their volunteer help at the museum, but also their efforts around town. But, we could also use additional volunteer gardeners to help with the summer upkeep of the flowerbeds at the museum. If you have an interest and can help, please call 597-9325. It will be greatly appreciated.
• On Saturday, August 26, from 9 am until whenever, we need volunteer help to houseclean the museum. It hasn’t had a "head-to-toe" cleaning since opening up. Please bring a bucket (rags provided) and/or vacuum cleaner if you have one. The more hands we have, the quicker the job will be completed. Stay as long as you can. All help will be greatly appreciated. Please RSVP to 597-9325 if you are coming.