Our little museum is making a hit! We’ve been open for less than two months, so we’re encouraged by the responses we’ve gotten to date. Here are a few:
- From the comment card: What did you like the best? “The local stories – tragedies, humor – I wanted to sit and read ALL the stories!”
- From an email post-visit: “By displaying Monkton Ridge’s community evolution from schoolhouses and blacksmith shops to stagecoach inns…the exhibit strengthens local identity. This shared heritage fosters a sense of belonging and pride in where people come from and who they are.”
- Verbally: “I like the way the school desk invites people in to dig deeper.”
The most common suggestion for the future? MORE old photos!
Yesterday we attended a Neighborly celebration at New Haven’s Depot Day where our museum was on display! It wasn’t labeled as such, but people working the event pointed out that our museum has accomplished what they hope to do too: use a small space within a town building to effectively and attractively help tell the story of the town.
Our publications and our museum are helping people connect with family history. Today’s visit with 94-year-old Constance M Cox Johnson Hollidayoke and her two sons and daughter-in-law was memorable indeed. We were thrilled to show her the school records in her mother’s (Evadne Cox) own handwriting from 1946.
Please come visit this self-guided museum when the library (with whom we share space) is open: Tuesday and Thursday from 3:00 to 7:00 PM, or Friday and Saturday mornings from 9 AM to 1:00 PM. Or email us to make an appointment at a time more convenient for you: monktonmhs@gmail.com. We are at 92 Monkton Ridge Road – more commonly known as the New Town Hall. We have no way of tracking how many people visit, so please do leave your name and a comment in the Guest Book. We look forward to sharing some of our heritage with you!