If you've stopped by the Pelham Historical Society’s Museum lately, you've probably noticed there's been plenty happening behind the scenes. While our museum may look peaceful from the outside, our volunteers have been hard at work preserving Pelham's history one project at a time.
One of our biggest undertakings this summer has been caring for our collection of historic clothing. The antique dresses wear found in a trunk and are being delicately washed and mended by an experience volunteer. As they return to the museum, we are carefully photographing them before packing them away in archival storage. It's meticulous work, but these beautiful garments are an important part of Pelham's story, and preserving them properly will help ensure they're around for future generations to enjoy. We will have a rotating display of the dresses that will change each month so they are not hidden away forever.
Of course, that's only one of many projects keeping everyone busy. Throughout the museum, volunteers have been organizing artifacts, sorting through historical records, and continuin
g the never-ending task of cataloging items in our collection. Every box opened seems to reveal another interesting piece of Pelham's past.
Our button-making machine has become a popular attraction, giving children, and quite a few adults, the chance to create a souvenir button, magnet, or pocket mirror to take home while learning about local history.
We've enjoyed welcoming visitors during our Saturday open hours, and it's been wonderful to see both longtime residents and newcomers stop in to
explore the museum. Whether someone comes in to research family history, browse the exhibits, or simply satisfy their curiosity, every visit is another opportunity to share the stories that make Pelham such a special place.
As always, none of this would happen without our incredible volunteers. They donate countless hours behind the scenes, often doing work that visitors never see, simply because they care about preserving Pelham's history. We are grateful for every person who gives their time, donates artifacts, or stops by to support the Museum.
If you've ever thought about getting involved, we'd love to meet you. You don't need to be a history expert, just someone with an interest in our comm
unity and a willingness to lend a hand. Whether your interests are genealogy, photography, organizing collections, researching local history, helping at events, or simply lending a hand during museum hours, there is a place for everyone at the Pelham Historical Society.
We hope you'll stop by the museum soon. We are open every Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. Bring the kids so they can help us find our duck, Sherburne P. Hobbs, or grab our scavenger hunt sheet to learn more about Pelham while having fun. Our button-making machine has also become a popular attraction, giving children, and quite a few adults, the chance to create a souvenir button, magnet, or pocket mirror to take home while learning about local history. We also have craft kits and games available in our gift shop, which we have set up to raise fund to purchase an overhead document scanner to further our preservation efforts.
Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Historical Society can attend our meetings on the 4th Monday of each month at 6:30 in the Memorial Room of the Museum located at 5 Main Street. www.PelhamHistoricalSociety.org
