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Poquoson Museum Membership Meeting


The next meeting will be
February 5, 2013 - 7:00PM
Poquoson Community Center, 49 Odd Rd.

Meetings are open to any and all who are interested in the Museum's efforts and have questions, or simply wish to meet some of the Museum membership.
Poquoson Museum and the Poquoson Historical Society Enter Into An Agreement with Arcadia Publishing
The Poquoson Museum and the Historical Society have partnered to develop and produce a photographic history book of Poquoson. The Memorandum of Agreement for the work is entitled "Images of America: Poquoson".
 
Arcadia Publishing is the leading local history publisher in the United States, with a catalog of more than 7,500 titles in print and hundreds of new titles released every year. Arcadia is best known for its popular "Images of America" series, which chronicles the history of communities across the country. Virginia alone has 229 historic books published in the series.
 
If you have old original photographs, pictures, diagrams, drawings or maps and would consider lending them for scanning, please call Barbara Whitlow at 868-6899 or Mary Clemons at 483-1028. Once the material is scanned, the scan copy is sent to Arcadia for inclusion into the book. Once the book is published, it will available for purchase. Proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit the Poquoson Museum and the Poquoson Historical Society. This project is expected to take at least a year to complete.
 
The Poquoson Museum and Historical Society members look forward to hearing from each of you to help make this project a success to show off our community. This is great opportunity for our community to join in with other Virginia locals to display photographically our history and culture.
Replacement Museum T-Shirts Available
Museum Grand Opening "T" shirts sold in August 2007 and after have displayed defects when washed. The coloring in some shirts has faded. The museum will replace any such defective shirt with a new one at no charge. To receive a new shirt, please bring your defective shirt to the museum during our normal open hours (Saturdays and Sundays, 1PM-5PM). The museum regrets any inconveniences this may have caused.
POQUOSON MUSEUM FIRST EDITION COOKBOOK
The Poquoson Museum has published a first edition cookbook, titled Recipes & Remembrances from the members and friends of the Poquoson Museum.

The book contains 250 delicious recipes arranged in eight categories.Helpful hints are included at the beginning of each section of the book, and additional information to assist the cook preparing and presenting meals is an added bonus.

The first edition cookbook can be yours for $10 per copy. If mailed, add $3 for shipping and handling per book. This cookbook will complement your collection and will also make a perfect gift for a loved one or friend.

If you are interested in purchasing, or have questions about the book, contact Mrs. Diane Holloway at 868-7630.


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American Legion Flag Donation


The Poquoson Museum wishes to thank American Legion Post #273 for donating an American Flag to the museum. The museum recently installed the flag pole in the front yard that originally stood at the old Fire Station on Poquoson Avenue. As part of the Civil War Living History event last month, members of the Poquoson American Legion conducted a flag raising ceremony to open the event. Members of the flag raising ceremony, from left to right, are Alexander Hanger, Don Ward, Carey Freeman and Sherwood Emerson.
Business-Safari Door Prize Winner


The Poquoson Museum participated with the City of Poquoson this year in the Business - Safari Event at the Living Museum in Newport News. Traditionally, organizations attending the event as vendors offer a door prize from their organization. This year the museum offered a ball cap with the museum logo embroidered on the cap. Shown in the photo is Museum President Paul Whitlow presenting this years winner, Lisa Ortiz, her museum cap.
Dairy Donated to the Museum


The dairy shown in the photo above was donated to the museum by Jean Ray and Nathan Forrest in memory of Miss Mary Burcher. According to our sources, Ms. Leslie Cox, who resided on the corner of Hudgins Road and Poquoson Ave., gave the dairy to Miss Mary Burcher.

Dairies similar to the one at the museum were used to keep milk, butter, cream and cheese cool until they were needed. During the summer milk and dairy products would be placed in about 8" of water in the summer dairy to keep them cool. It is estimated that the museum dairy was built in the early 1900's.

Another type of dairy was the winter dairy. This type of dairy has an open slatted front to allow the cold wind to blow through and cool the dairy products.

Museum Opens Exhibit to Celebrate the 100 Year Anniversary of the Poquoson High School
First Graduating Class


On April 3, 2011 at 1pm the museum will open for visitors featuring a new exhibit with artifacts and other items to celebrate the first graduating class of Poquoson High School.

This exhibit was developed with the help of the school committee and from resources within the community. The theme is to display items that depict the school throughout the past. There are photos and other correspondence for visitors to enjoy and relive the past. This exhibit has been in development since last year.

The museum membership invites you to stop by and visit with us and talk with the staff about your experiences at Poquoson High School.

MUSEUM RESTORES WASH HOUSE

  
Before & After Views of the Wash House
In late August of 2009, museum volunteers started work on restoring this circa 1938 Wash House located on the museum campus. The building had served multiple uses throughout its history and was saved from a disastrous fate when it was threatened by a barn fire at the museum in 2007. Fireman continued to douse the building with water to prevent the Wash House from being consumed by flames.

MUSEUM JOHN DEERE TRACTOR
RETURNS HOME

On February 27th, museum volunteers relocated a 1947 Model D John Deere Tractor to the museum, subsequent to engine and other repairs. The tractor was donated to the museum by Dan and Alice Phillips. In the December 2003 Poquoson Christmas parade the tractor, pulling a museum float, won second place in the Antique Motorized Division.

The Model D John Deere Tractor was produced from March 1923 to July 1953. The first Model D rode on steel wheels and was powered by a two-cylinder hand cranked engine. In 1925 solid rubber tires replaced the steel wheels. In 1939 a restyled Model D tractor appeared with a 42 horsepower engine and weighed 5,300 pounds. The Model D that is on display at the museum has electric start and inflatable rubber tires.

BARN RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT

  

Views before & after the fire, and after restoration
On Saturday, April 12, work began in replacing the barn that was lost in a November 2007 fire. The post-fire cleanup and inital steps in the rebuilding process were carried out by members of the museum's Buildings & Grounds Committee. With help from the community, the rebuilding project has continued through the summer and fall, and is well on its way to restoring an important part in the museum's effort to collect, preserve and present the history and heritage of Poquoson, Virginia.

If you would like to help in the reconstruction work, or want information on the project, please call 868-9116.

Donations for the project may be sent to:
Poquoson Museum, PO Box 2163, Poquoson, VA 23662.
** Please indicate "barn project" on your check **

Marsh Walk
Construction Continues
The construction phase continued through the summer and early fall in developing the Poquoson Museum's "Marsh Walk". You can view background information, check on its progress and view the project photo album by following the link below.

Poquoson Museum Reopens April 12
Visitors from around the community and beyond were in attendance on Saturday, April 12th, as we celebrated reopening the museum following a short closure while we installed new exhibits. Patrons who have visited the museum in the past had said they would like to see items from Poquoson, and now visitors have that opportunity.


PHOTO DERIVED SKETCH OF POQUOSON MUSEUM'S OLD COUNTRY STORE EXHIBIT
What's back there? Step back in time and see, by visiting your Poquoson Museum.

The theme for one of the new exhibits is “Old Country Store”. You will be amazed to view some of the articles that were stocked in an old country store at the turn of the century.

Complementing the country store exhibit is a display of various vintage quilts, a spinning wheel, a “yarn counter” and textiles. This display also includes the museum’s “Wood Carvers Quilt”. You can read an article with a photo about this quilt on our web site. All of the items on display have been donated or loaned to the museum by the citizens of poquoson.

Archaeological Testing at the Current Location of the Tom Hunt Store
On July 7, 2008 Archaeological & Cultural Solutions, Inc. began an archaeological survey at the current location of the historic Tom Hunt Store. The Phase I survey consists of the excavation of a series of shovel test units on a grid pattern over the property. All soils excavated are screened through hardware mesh and artifacts are bagged and labeled by hole and layer.

Poquoson City Council adopts resolution
recognizing the Poquoson Museum
The membership of the Poquoson Museum was presented with a resolution by the Poquoson City Council, commending it for its vision and determination in establishing a museum in the Poquoson community. The resolution was signed by all City Council members and placed on a handsome plaque.

Mayor Gordon Helsel presented the plaque on behalf of City Council, with museum president Diane Holloway accepting the resolution on behalf of the museum membership.

          ···<<< copy of the City Council Resolution >>>···

The resolution will be proudly displayed in the museum for visitors to view, an enduring appreciation and reminder of how the Council and other city departments support the museum in its mission to preserve, document, interpret and promote the history and heritage of Poquoson, and in its effort to educate and share this with the general public.
Mr. and Mrs. Manfred C. Freeman, Jr. Underwrite Marsh Walk
Linda R. Freeman and Manfred C. Freeman, Jr. are two of the most dedicated patrons of the Poquoson Museum. Their generous gift of $50,000 has prompted the museum to name the Marsh Walk Trail as an enduring remembrance of Manfred's grandparents, Edward R. and Emma Moore Freeman.

Wood Carver's Quilt becomes a Reality
Poquoson Museum Vice President Georgia McDaniel came up with the idea in 2003 of creating a campaign to construct a wood carver's quilt. The quilt of wood carvings has now been given form, highlighting Poquoson heritage through the techniques and talents behind its thirty carved blocks.

Renovation of
Miss Becky's Store
Much work and progeress took place during 2006 on the renovation of Miss Becky's Store, a circa 1930 building that became one of Poquoson's more well-known twentieth century landmarks. The original article on the renovation project has been updated with photos of the store taken both before and after the renovation work. Have a look.

City donates former Registrar's Office
to the Museum
The museum plans to rehabilitate the building back to its 1930's appearance. The building is seen here being moved to its new location on the future marsh walk trail at the museum campus.


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