By Sharron Luttrell
Starting March 22, the Mendon Historical Society museum will be open regularly to the public for the first time since the Covid-19 shut it down six years ago.
The museum had been in its current location at 15 Hastings Street for three years when the pandemic forced its closure. It had previously been operating in cramped quarters at 3 Main Street next to Founders Park when the late Bernita DeVries, who died in 2016, left her 1840s house to the nonprofit.
Volunteers spent months preparing the museum’s new home, removing (and preserving) 1930s and 40s wallpaper, pulling up rugs, painting and making the building handicapped accessible. They moved the historical society’s collection into the space, installed exhibits and opened to the public.
“We were just getting back on our feet from the move when Covid hit,” historical society member Amy DeWitt said.
Members took advantage of the pause to dig deeper into their holdings and assemble a more complete narrative of the town’s history.
“During the time we were kind of stationary and weren’t able to do much, it really gave us a great opportunity to do research and start putting the puzzle pieces together,” said Kathy Schofield, historical society member and the museum’s curator. “It became a big focus over the last year and a half. You have a thousand pieces in front of you, and how do they fit, and what story do they tell, and how do these tell the story of the community?”
Those stories include those of the town doctor, John George Metcalf, and the men whose fitness he evaluated for Civil War service. The museum houses not just Metcalf’s notebook where he kept meticulous records, but photos of men who fought in the Civil War and the weapons they carried.
Those are a fraction of the museum’s collection of photos, documents and objects chronicling Mendon’s 350-year history. There are artifacts from the area’s Native American population, the town’s first sewing machine, military weapons dating back to the Revolutionary War, household items and personal effects, including clothing.
“We have much more than we can ever display at once. But that’s kind of nice because certainly it will never get boring,” DeWitt said.
Visitors can view the collections from 1-4 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month and Tuesdays from 1:30-4 p.m. Admission is free, though donations are accepted.
For more information, to volunteer for the historical society or to become a member, visit the historical society’s website or email Mendonhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
“Anybody who loves history, this is the place to come,” Schofield said.
Gallery: Exhibits in the Mendon Historical Society Museum. Above, a mural of the former Lake Nipmuc Park by Mendon resident Arlene Reed. (Photos courtesy of the Mendon Historical Society).
