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THE
SOCIETY MUSEUM AND RESEARCH CENTER IS LOCATED IN THE FORMER LAW
OFFICE (BUILDING ON THE RIGHT) OF ATTORNEY JOHN WILSON STEPHENSON (1850-1921) NEXT TO THE
COURTHOUSE IN WARM SPRINGS, VIRGINIA. IT WAS MOVED FROM THE SITE OF
THE ORIGINAL COURTHOUSE (NOW THE WARM SPRINGS INN) IN THE LATE
1890'S.
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ONE
OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO OUR NEWLY RENOVATED MUSEUM IS THE
"VIGNETTE WING". WHAT USED TO BE OUR RESEARCH LIBRARY HAS
BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO THREE PERIOD ROOMS DECORATED TO HIGHLIGHT OUR
FABULOUS COLLECTION OF 19TH CENTURY FURNITURE, MEMORABILIA AND
VINTAGE CLOTHING.
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THE
"PARENTS' ROOM" FEATURES AN ANTIQUE STRING SPOOL FOUR POSTER BED
SURROUNDED BY ALL KINDS OF INTERESTING PERSONAL EFFECTS INCLUDING A
VINTAGE SHOE DISPLAY AS WELL AS PERIOD DRESSES. THE TWO DRESS
DISPLAYS HERE ARE MADE MORE POIGNANT BY THE ACTUAL PHOTOS NEARBY OF
THE WOMEN WEARING THEM PRIOR TO 1900. THE GOTHIC STEEPLE CLOCK NEAR
THE CORNER DATES FROM 1855.
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THE
"CHILDREN'S ROOM" FEATURES AN EARLY BATH
COUNTY 1830 CRADLE ALONG WITH PHOTOS AND CLOTHING FROM THE 1800'S.
THE DRESSER WITH MIRROR TOP AT LEFT IS FROM THE WARM SPRINGS
HOTEL WHICH FELL TO THE WRECKING BALL IN THE 1940'S. THE HISTORIC HANDMADE
"BICENTENNIAL QUILT" WALL HANGING WAS SEWN BY LOCAL WOMEN
TO COMMEMORATE POPULAR BATH COUNTY DESTINATIONS AND LANDMARKS.
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IN
THE "LIVING/PARLOR/DINING ROOM" VIGNETTE, THE WILSON FAMILY
PIANO, DATING FROM 1820 SITS NEXT TO AN 1855 WEDDING GOWN WITH AN
EIGHT FOOT TRAIN. PERIOD PORTRAITS HANG NEARBY. THE PIANO CAME ALL
THE WAY FROM GERMANY TRAVELING BY OXCART FROM CHARLOTTESVILLE TO
BOLAR, THE HOME OF COLONEL JOHN WILSON.
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THE TERRILL SOFA
(CIRCA 1840, LEFT WALL) CAME FROM THE HOME OF COL. WILLIAM HENRY
TERRILL, BATH'S COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY FOR THREE DECADES. MARGARET LYNN LEWIS, ONE OF THE ORIGINAL BATH COUNTY
SETTLERS, IS THE SUBJECT OF THE PAINTING IN THE CENTER. TO THE RIGHT
IS
THE WARWICK
FAMILY DESK AND CABINET, CIRCA MID 1800'S FILLED WITH BATH COUNTY FAMILY MEMORABILIA.
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THE
KITCHEN NOOK FEATURES AN 1850 WALNUT HUTCH FILLED WITH PORCELAIN AND
CERAMIC TREASURES ACCENTED WITH STERLING SILVER FLATWARE AND OTHER
PERIOD ARTIFACTS. THE BEAUTIFUL GREEN GOWN DATES TO 1857. THE
TEA SET ON THE SECOND SHELF WITH A "W" OVER "M"
MONOGRAM IS AN 1893 COPY OF THE MARTHA WASHINGTON SERVICE PRODUCED
FOR THE 1893 CHICAGO WORLD'S FAIR. THE GOLD EDGED WHITE BREAKFAST
SERVICE AND BONE HANDLED FLATWARE BELONGED TO THE McCLINTIC FAMILY
WHO OWNED "HICKORY LODGE", A JACKSON RIVER ESTATE FLOODED
TO CREATE LAKE MOOMAW.
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ANOTHER
INTERESTING CORNER IN THE "VIGNETTE ROOM" IS THE
"HISTORIC HOMES" DISPLAY. THIS PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBIT SHOWS
MANY OF BATH COUNTY'S GRAND HISTORIC HOMES AS WELL AS EARLY LOG
CABINS, MANY OF WHICH NO LONGER EXIST. THE DISPLAY CABINET BELOW IS
FILLED WITH VINTAGE PERSONAL EFFECTS OF LONG PASSED BATH COUNTY
RESIDENTS. OTHER
EXHIBITS OF INTEREST INCLUDE A TRIBUTE TO FAMED AUTHOR AND LONG TIME
WARM SPRINGS RESIDENT MARY JOHNSTON (1870-1936) ON THE RIGHT FACING
WALL. BELOW THIS SITS AN ANTIQUE MAP CHEST.
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FRONT ROOM NEAREST THE FRONT DOOR HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED TO TELL THE
STORY OF THE HISTORY OF BATH COUNTY FROM ITS VERY BEGINNINGS
TO THE PRESENT DAY. LARGE, WELL LIT DISPLAY CASES IN THE CENTER OF
THE ROOM PROVIDE EXHIBIT SPACE FOR TREASURED MEMORABILIA AND
ARTIFACTS THAT FORM THE STORY OF BATH COUNTY. |
THE
PERIMETER WALLS IN THE FRONT ROOM HIGHLIGHT VARIOUS EPISODES IN THE
STORY LINE OF BATH HISTORY. THIS FIRST INTRODUCTORY DISPLAY JUST
INSIDE THE FRONT DOOR TELLS THE HISTORY OF THE SPRINGS, THE ORIGINAL
FEATURE THAT DREW PREHISTORIC MAN TO THIS AREA. |
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| "THE
WARS" EXHIBIT CONTAINS MEMORABILIA AND ARTIFACTS PRIMARILY FROM
THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD INCLUDING EXCAVATED ITEMS FROM NEARBY VIRGINIA
BATTLEFIELDS. THERE ARE ALSO ORIGINAL PHOTOS OF BATH COUNTY
SERVICEMEN AS WELL. |
ONE
OF THE CENTER ROOM CASES FEATURES THE RAREST OF THE MANY BOOKS FROM
OUR COLLECTION INCLUDING A REMARKABLE SECOND EDITION OF THE LEWIS
& CLARK EXPEDITION. |
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| CONTINUING
INTO THE BACK ROOM OF THE EXHIBIT AREA, THERE IS AN EXTENSIVE
DISPLAY OF 19TH CENTURY AGRICULTURAL MEMORABILIA FROM EARLY BATH
COUNTY FARMS. THE IMPLEMENTS ARE QUITE UNUSUAL. THE CASE IN THE
CENTER (LEFT PHOTO) IS FILLED WITH NATIVE INDIAN ARTIFACTS EXCAVATED FROM A LOCAL
BATH COUNTY ESTATE. |
PLEASE COME FOR A VISIT!
THE
"SOCIETY GIFT CORNER" FEATURES BOOKS, MANUSCRIPTS,
TRINKETS, BROCHURES AND REPRINTS PARTICULAR TO BATH COUNTY HISTORY
AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO ALL VISITORS.
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