Newsletter January 2004
From the President’s Desk
The beginning of January is, traditionally, a time for looking toward the future as well as looking back at the past year. Without the retrospective look, it is difficult to plan for our tomorrows.
At Allison-Antrim Museum, the year 2003 was an exciting and busy year. AAMI provided many cultural and historical opportunities of which the community-at-large could take advantage. The monthly exhibits were of the highest quality that usually can only be seen by traveling to much larger state and national museums. The collections displayed were loaned to AMMI by museum members and non-members as well as being pulled from AAMI’s collections. The museum began 2003 with AAMI’s unique historical Brumbaugh Collection of Pennsylvania’s Governors’ Signatures. The tidbits of Pennsylvania history that lie within each document are fascinating and can be found nowhere else. Each of these documents touched someone’s life in an important way from 1715 to 2003. Fire and Light was an exhibit of how our ancestors lived their daily lives without electricity. Greencastle’s continually changing business history was shown through advertising pieces from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. On the national level, the White House Wooden Easter Egg Roll and its history has enabled children to become a part of our country’s history. Vintage hats and bonnets from 1770 to 1970 adorned the museum during the months of May and June and brought rave revues from all visitors. In July, AAMI featured collections that belong to two young ladies of today. During this exhibit, AAMI invited children and their parents in for a special reminiscing open house that centered on travel in this area by trolley and antique cars. August’s antique tradesmen’s tools exhibit was so well received, that we had a third, impromptu open house day to allow more visitors to enjoy the tools that were used by unknown and known local master tradesmen dating from the 1800’s into the third quarter of the 20th century. Lawless-Johnson Organ Company, Greencastle, was also gracious enough to open their doors to the museum’s visitors and gave them guided tours of their “shop” during our scheduled open houses. September and October’s exhibit was perhaps the most unusual exhibit to date – A Time to Mourn. This exhibit, which included many pieces of the same quality as was collected by Abby Aldridge Rockefeller, permitted AAMI’s visitors to see the beauty of death through their ancestors’ eyes, a perspective which is not often appreciated in today’s society. AAMI also provided the opportunity, in October, for the public to listen to the reminiscences of Mary Todd Lincoln as portrayed by Saundra Jordan. Local veterans, from the Civil War through WWII, were honored in the November exhibit. The majority of the uniforms and other artifacts had never been exhibited or been seen for a number of years. Childhood memories, at least of visitors who grew up in the northern climate, were recalled while looking at the antique sled exhibit, just this past month. The guests also experienced an 1860 house and an old fashioned cedar tree decorated as during the Civil War period.
And of course, there’s the pre-1860 barn project that was begun that will have a positive effect on the future of Allison-Antrim Museum. With the additional space, AAMI will eventually be able to have more permanent exhibits displayed, such as the Pennsylvania Governors’ Signatures Collection and the Civil War collection, which can only be exhibited for a limited time right now because of space restrictions. The possibilities of other programs and workshops are endless. Allison-Antrim Museum’s tomorrows look very bright. Here’s to 2004 and beyond!
Pictorial History Book
It is not too late to contact me with photographs for possible usage in the pictorial history book of Greencastle and Antrim Township. Please remember that I do not know what anyone has in their possession unless you tell me. There are some wonderful photographs that have come to the museum for inclusion. Although the number of pictures grows, we still need more from which to choose. Louise Mowen, Pete Goetz, Ken and I have gone through the Besore Library’s collection and have found some great photos. Other resources have included individuals from the Greencastle-Antrim area, Mercersburg, and Chambersburg, and beyond. The Isabelle Barnes, Ed Bitner, Glen Cump, Frank Ervin, Evelyn Pensinger, and the Welch family have made significant contributions.
The book cover’s photograph and the text for the back cover are due January 10 and the rest of the book is due on Tuesday, March 9 at the publisher!
Because of this deadline, which will allow the book to be ready by the time Old Home Week begins on July 31, my time will be quite limited for the next two months, which may mean that there will not be a March/April Annals newsletter. If this is the case, please watch for your postcard and newspapers for press releases on the monthly meetings and speakers and the open house dates, times, and exhibits. Although only January’s calendar of events has been finalized, as of the printing of this newsletter, I have provided the days and dates for the months of February through April. Please take notice of the changes in the April dates because Easter falls on the second Sunday of April this year.
January Exhibit
Allison-Antrim Museum will be rocking and rolling with a tribute to Elvis in January. Why Elvis? Why January? Ken and I attended the David King and Jourdinaires’ concert in October at the high school auditorium and it was packed. There are a lot of Elvis fans and David King also has quite a following. Elvis’ first contract with a recording studio, Sun Records, was signed on January 1, 1950 and his birthday is January 8, 1935. Elvis is a member of a very small group of people who are known worldwide by only one of their names. He revolutionized pop music forever when he burst into the limelight in 1950 with his own style of music that was influenced by both the blues and gospel music, the music with which he grew up. Elvis’ stage presence and performances, the likes of which had never before been seen, propelled him into fame and notoriety around the world. He was a major influence on the Beatles and their music a little more than a decade later.
A friend of the museum has consented to share part of their collection through this special exhibit which highlights lesser known facts as well as some of the more interesting aspects about Elvis and his life, and displays memorabilia which may be new to you. Some of the items included in the exhibit are un-circulated, private photos of Elvis that have never been published, records from both Sun and RCA labels, a display box and Elvis cards that were sold in the 1980’s, memorabilia items such as plates that were sold by numerous companies, and a life-size poster portrait of Elvis dressed in pink and playing a guitar. These are just a few of the many Elvis pieces, some rare, that will be on display.
How did the U.S. government honor Elvis? Come visit the museum and find out the connection between Elvis and U.S.S. Arizona memorial commemorating the servicemen and civilians that were killed at Pearl Harbor. What is the rarest RCA regular single record? It is, of course, one of Elvis’ recordings. What is the most sought after RCA album produced during Elvis’ lifetime? Numerous framed pieces will be hung in the dining room while many more mementos will be exhibited in the large parlor and large bedroom.
This exhibit with unique and rare pieces will provide a condensed overview of Elvis’ career and accomplishments. Come reminisce from a time that seemed much simpler and carefree and don't forget to wear your blue suede shoes.
See Calendar of Events for dates and times.
January Quarterly Meeting
The topic of the January meeting will be “Archaeology in Antrim Township” which will cover the time period from circa 6,000 B.C. to circa 1870. Doug Stine, AAMI member and president of the local Cumberland Valley Chapter 27 of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology, will lead a panel discussion with Chapter 27 members, Pandy Yeakle and Al Bonnell, who is also an AAMI member.
The digs that were done on museum grounds will be included in the ‘Antrim Township’ area covered in the panel discussion because when Alexander L. Irwin built the museum house in 1860, the property was located in Antrim Township. Allison-Antrim Museum’s partnership with the local archaeology group began in 1999 when Tim Rockwell, a well-known archaeologist from Mercersburg, visited the museum grounds and gave suggestions of locations where the first digs might begin. Chapter 27 members have, so far, done two digs during 1999 and 2001. The volunteer archaeologists have found many interesting artifacts from white kaolin pipes which date to the Revolutionary War era, to hand-forged nails, glass bottles with dates, an intact Denby Pottery, Derby, England master ink bottle, and a ca. 1750 – ca. 1770 hand-painted polychrome ceramic creamware cup (made without a handle). The Chapter 27 group plans to return to AAMI to layout additional dig sites and search for more artifacts from the Irwin family’s past.
This past summer, Chapter 27 spent their time at Al Bonnell’s home, William Allison’s homestead, just off Route 11 South, which is where Ebbert Spring is located. At the spring site, very exciting Native American artifacts dating from the prehistoric period were found. Many points (arrowhead-type instruments) were found including ca. 6,000 B.C. ‘atlatl’ points. These were dart-like weapons that pre-date arrowheads by about 6,000 years. Atlatls were used by Native Americans for hunting and were affixed on the end of spears. When thrown successfully, the atlatl became impaled in the animal and released from the spear, allowing the spear to be used repeatedly with other atlatls. A two-thirds intact pottery bowl was found as well as part of a vessel that was carved from soapstone, and many, many more Native American artifacts that were used daily, centuries before the white man discovered this area.
A selection of artifacts from both the museum site and the Ebbert Spring site will be on display along with photographs that were taken during the digs. Both sites have been registered with the state archaeology society. A question and answer period will follow the presentation.
See Calendar of Events for date and time.
What’s Been Happening
- The next step in the barn relocation process is a meeting with the Borough’s Zoning and Hearing Board at the end of January. A site plan and other information has been completed, compiled, and supplied to the Borough. Two contractors have looked at the barn and are submitting bids. It is through this step that we have learned that the barn probably predates 1860 because of distinctive saw blade marks that were left on some of the big timbers and could only have been made by water-powered saws. Water-powered saws predated steam-powered saws that came into use about 1860.
Recent Acquisitions
- One Charles B. Carl oil of wintergreen syrup bottle; one Carl’s Drug Store paregoric bottle; one Ed Carl era Rexall cold cream jar; one 8” x 10” black and white photo of Jake Teeter and his wife and daughters taken by Harold “Penny” Pensinger in the home of the late Thelma Edwards at 59 Spring Grove Avenue; two brown painted and hand decorated plank bottom chairs made by “Henry Agnew, chair maker, Greencastle, Pennsylvania”; one spirit of ammonia bottle from Foust’s Drug Store at Baltimore and Washington Streets. Gifts from Evelyn Pensinger
- The wedding dress of Aumeda Kate Shank who married Ira E. Gearhart on October 11, 1905; their wedding photo and marriage certificate booklet; a funeral memorial card for Ira Gearhart; the funeral home guest register for Aumeda Gearhart; one black and white photo of Aumeda standing front of their first home at Gearhart Road. Gifts from Ruby Zeger Oberholzer and Pat Zeger Martin, granddaughters of Aumeda and Ira
- One red wool petticoat with crochet edging which belonged to either Elizabeth Deardorf Grove or her daughter, Margaret Grove Hege of the Shady Grove and Greencastle areas and one black, seal-skin hat which belonged to Edward Hege, husband of Margaret Grove Hege. Gifts from Anne Lehman
- Copies of three L. R. Walck Hatcheries catalogs (one undated, one 1940, 1947) Gifts from Ginny Fitz and the Walck family
- Three leather postcards – one each, Grace Reformed Church, Greencastle Presbyterian Church, and A. Shark Clothing store, Greencastle, Pa. Gifts from Mrs. William C. Bricker, Jr., Chambersburg
Website Inquiries
- From New York City, a referral request for document restorers and conservators for several typewritten letters signed by Franklin Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Other Inquiries
- The end of November a message was left on the museum’s answering machine from a man in University Park, Maryland. He was inquiring about a painting he has had for twenty-some years and is signed by Walter W. Smith. The owner was bored with the college football games on TV and decided to type in Smith’s name in his search engine and up came Allison-Antrim Museum. He was amazed to find out so much information on Smith.
It is a beautiful watercolor painting of a “Gibson” girl that he did in 1912. Except for the self-portrait that is in the collection, I have never seen or heard that he did other portrait-style paintings. I hope that we, in Greencastle, may get a chance to see it in person some day.
Calendar of Events
Thursday, January 8, 7 p.m., Evangelical Lutheran
Church:
Quarterly Meeting – AAMI
members Doug Stine and Al Bonnell along with Pandy Yeakle will speak about the
archaeological digs that have been done on the museum’s grounds and Ebbert
Springs. Artifacts from the digs will be displayed.
Sunday, January 11, 1 – 4 p.m. and Thursday,
January 15, noon – 3 p.m.:
Open House – Elvis Exhibit (see article) In case of inclement
weather on January 11, the Sunday open house will be held on Sunday,
January 18, 1 – 4 p.m. Listen to the radio for cancellation announcement. At
all other times between January 8 and January 26, the exhibit can be seen by
appointment.
Thursday, February 5, noon – 3 p.m. and Sunday,
February 8, 1 – 4 p.m.:
Open House – Exhibit of antique valentines from the collection of AAMI
member Katherine Carl.
Thursday, February 12, 7 p.m., Evangelical
Lutheran Church:
Monthly Meeting – TBA
Thursday, March 11, 7 p.m., Evangelical Lutheran
Church:
Monthly Meeting – TBA
Sunday, March 14, 1 – 4 p.m. and Thursday, March
18, noon – 3 p.m.:
Open House – TBA
Thursday, April 1, 6:30 p.m., Antrim House Restaurant: Quarterly meeting – TBA Please notice the regular meeting has been changed to the first Thursday of the month because of Holy Week.
Sunday, April 4, 1 – 4 p.m. and Thursday, April
8, noon – 3 p.m.:
Open House - TBA