South Frontenac Museum Open House

Jenna Leslie | Dec 07, 2016

Families were invited to enjoy refreshments and history as the South Frontenac Museum hosted their second annual Christmas open house over the weekend.

Children were invited to come out to the museum with their families after the Santa Clause parade to explore the museum and even visit with Santa Clause. There were also prizes available and goodies made by society members for visitors to enjoy.

The old schoolhouse was filled with familiar faces and the smell of warm apple cider as members of the Portland District and Area Heritage Society sat around sharing stories and answering questions.

This was the second annual Christmas open house. According to the president of the society, Barbera Stewart, the event had a great turnout last year so they thought they would host it again this year.

The event is one way that the society tries to get residents more interested in their heritage. The society’s director, Lynne Hutcheson, sees a lot of importance in sharing the area’s history with the younger generations.

“It’s important for young people to learn about history period. History repeats itself and you learn a lot from it,” says Hutcheson. “If you look into your ancestor’s history, you know where your roots are from and how you’ve come to be where you are today.”

According to the members, there is a surprising amount of intrigue in these younger generations.

“It’s amazing how interested the little ones are in the pieces,” says Hutcheson. There are often competitions and games set up for the children to get them more involved. They have chances to win prizes while learning a bit more about the history of where they are growing up.

The Portland District and Area Heritage Society was formed in 2002 by a passionate group of individuals who were determined to create a museum for the area. In 2015, the society finally got their wish and the South Frontenac Museum was born.

The group has since organized all kinds of fundraisers, bake sales, displays and even put floats in parades.

The museum had their first anniversary celebration in August of this year, with around 80 people coming out to show their support.

Admission to the museum is by donation and there are always society members available during working hours to answer any questions that guests may have about history in the area.

“There’s a lot of history here,” says Stewart. The old schoolhouse is filled with fascinating artifacts that have been donated by different people in the area.

This open house was the last event that the museum will host for the winter season. It will open again in May and remain open until October.