Franklin County House of History - Part 2

I was touring the downstairs rooms of the Franklin County Museum in Malone, New York (see yesterday's post):

The downstairs parlors were elegant and impressive. This obviously was once the home of a wealthy family:

I moved to the foot of the stairs, where antique baby dolls rested in antique carriages:

I've noticed before that museums have lots of baby dolls and dresses, especially wedding dresses, because women cherished them and kept them all their lives, passing them on to their heirs. I always think of how much a doll was loved by someone - or by several people in a family:

I climbed the stairs and entered a room dedicated to weaving and looms:

School groups come here and get to weave a short section of fabric, which is added to the previous groups' sections and displayed in long scarves:

There were also candle making displays where the school children got to see candles being made and a corn broom making machine. There was also a one room school house display. But what really caught my eye was this county themed quilt, memorializing some of the rustic beauty of the surrounding town and countryside:

There was a room crammed full of antique farm implements:

I found these old farm tools fascinating and I'll bet that some of them would still be useful today:

I returned to the kitchen to end my tour but was told that there was one more room, containing a general store. I had not seen that the last time I visited, so it was totally new and fascinating to me:

The general store was full of antiques for display but also had souvenirs for sale:

This was a lively and elaborate display, perhaps my favorite part of the museum tour. But I'd seen everything at that point, so I thanked my guide and began making my way home to do the evening chores:

Franklin County House of History - Part 1

It had been a long time since I was at the museum in Malone, New York and winter was rapidly approaching when they'd be closed. So one afternoon I drove to Malone to take another look:

The entrance leads into an old fashioned kitchen, complete with wood cook stove:

And a real pantry:

Even the curtains in the pantry looked old timey:

From the kitchen, I proceeded into the more formal parts of this old mansion, where a headless manikin in a servant's uniform stood by the door:

Malone was the home of William A. Weaver, 19th Vice-President of the United States, elected in 1876 with Rutherford B. Hayes. This was not Mr. Weaver's home, but this bedroom contains his furniture and personal belongings:

A nightstand in the bedroom:

Back into the more formal rooms, I took notice of several glass display cases which held Civil War memorabilia:

A selection of old teapots caught my fancy. I've always liked teapots even though I don't like tea:

Parrit Blaisdell Jr., a stage coach driver between Windsor and Montpelier, Vt. married Betsy Standish, a descendant of Miles Standish, in 1822. Their portraits now hang in the House of History:

Then I proceeded to the elegant front stairway, where a 1920s style flapper was standing:

Before going upstairs, however, there were several parlors to investigate. I'll post more photos tomorrow from the Franklin County House of History:

The Franklin County Museum - Part 2

I continued my tour of the Franklin County Museum in Malone, New York in the upstairs room which was furnished as an old schoolhouse:

There was a broom making machine and the guide told me that they used to have broom making demonstrations for school kids and that Malone had a broom factory for much of its history:

There was a weaving, spinning and textile room:

And a bicentennial quilt, featuring fascinating cloth panels of local business, farms, wildlife, the county fair, the railroad and a big fire:

Weaving demonstrations for touring school groups:

And some amazing old sewing machines:

At the end of my tour, right next to the door, the guide pointed out this "Granny Bench," which I hadn't noticed before. The grandma sat on one side and could lay a baby next to her without fear of it rolling off:

I thanked my guide and left the museum. But I'd promised myself that I'd also take photos of some of the surrounding homes to give you an idea of the spectacular, historic neighborhood. This home was right next door and a sign indicated that it was a bed and breakfast:

A home with a turret:

An intricate home with lots of interesting features:

And a stone house with a wooden front:

I took one last photo of this brick colonial before putting my camera away and beginning the journey home:

The Franklin County Museum - Part 1

The town of Malone was busy and the streets were bumper to bumper cars. I pulled off onto Clay Street and entered another world, where it seemed that time had held still since the Victorian Era. My destination was the Franklin County Museum:

I began in the kitchen, where they had an old fashioned wood cook stove and a pantry filled with gadgets and old time jars and cans:

The sink had a hand pump and old fashioned artifacts abounded:

I entered the bedroom, where a rocking horse kept itself warm by the fireplace:

This was the William Almon Wheeler bedroom, featuring the former Vice-President's original furnishings. Elected as Vice-President under Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, he served his term and then retired back to this beloved home in Malone. He died here in 1887, probably in this bed:       

From there to the main parlor, where many of the dolls and baby carriages from the museum's recent special exhibit were waiting to be returned to their regular places:

The parlor was formal and I could imagine a Vice-President receiving visitors here:

And from there, I ascended this elegant staircase:

One upstairs room was devoted to farm tools:

And they had some of the most ingenious farm tools I've seen. This is, after all, big farm country:

I especially liked this deerskin chest, from around 1833:

The guide told me that they have candle making demonstrations for school kids. But there was still more to see. I'll post Part 2 tomorrow: