South Frontenac Museum celebrates first anniversary

Hailey Mills | Aug 18, 2016

South Frontenac Museum summer co-ordinator Nicole Hochguertel, and volunteers Lynne Hutchison and Deb Lovegrove didn't want to just wait for people to come in to the museum last Saturday, as it was holding its first anniversary bash.

They left the building and spent time on the front lawn, waving to cars passing by on Road 38, enticing some to come and visit. This made for quite a sight, as they were wearing period costume and it was raining for much of the time.

“The anniversary is going very well considering the rain, I believe we’ve had over 20 people and it’s only half way through the event. Everyone seems to like the outdoor buggy; it really attracts people along with the spinning and butter churning. I think people really like the costumes, the different clothing. They’re really attractive to people because they are different fashions from the old times. It’s been going pretty well,” said Nicole Hochguertel, who has been working at the museum as part of her job promoting recreation in the township this summer.

Inside the museum there were visitors from all over the township, which pleased organizers. Although the museum was developed by the Portland Historical Society, its mandate is to serve as a repository for artifacts from the entire township. Verona-based spinner and fabric artist, Beth Abbott, was demonstrating on the museum's spinning wheel, and children were playing with the old math counting boards and drawing on the chalkboards.

“It's more fun to use the tools from the past than just looking at them, especially for kids,” said Hochguertel.

One of the visitors was Connie Cartmell. She was enjoying a display of linens from her own family farm.

“My favourite parts about it is the way the things I brought from my own farm life are displayed. My grandmother was born in the 1800s, so there’s some pillowcases with lace, crochet bedspreads, and a quilt that my great-great grandmother made on one of the beds in there. The beautiful hooked rugs that someone is making are wonderful and of course all the old farm stuff that we all grew up with.” Cartmell said.

The South Frontenac Museum will be open on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 pm until Thanksgiving weekend, when it will close for the winter.