Treasures in the Attic

Judy Borovskis and Wilma Kenny | Jun 12, 2024

What to do on Saturday morning? Fran Gibson and I decided to visit “Treasurers in the Attic” sponsored by the South Frontenac Museum on Saturday, June 8th. We received a warm welcome from Jane Adamson, museum volunteer, who invited us to sign the guest list.

I had forgotten how bright and pleasant the newly renovated Storrington Centre is. Chairs and tables were set up and people continually entering with memorabilia from the past and happily telling the stories behind the items.

The highlight for this particular Saturday was to be present when Norma & Charles Barr came in with a sewing machine from the local tannery many years ago! Down from the rafters and now lovingly received by the museum.

Among the items that evaluators Dave Duffe (Canadiana and primitives) and Michael Gemmell (European and fine arts) inspected and commented on was everything from fine china and a ceremonial dirk to a heavy iron hand-cranked harness-stitching machine.

All visitors were invited to identify three ‘mystery’ items: a part from an early electric milking machine, a horse’s bog-shoe and a long-handled, heavy, oddly-inscribed wafer iron dug out of the backyard of an early home in Sydenham. 

The new hall provided a spacious, bright location, and is soon to become the headquarters for South Frontenac Township’s offices during the coming year’s expansion/restructuring of the Sydenham township hall and office complex.

South Frontenac Museum, in the old stone Hartington schoolhouse, is open throughout the summer every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday afternoon, or by appointment. Featured among this year’s exhibits is “Now and Then”; how did we communicate, do addition and subtraction, take pictures and listen to music before we had iPhones? Check the atlas to find where your home in the Frontenacs would have been 146 years ago.

It’s a lovely air-conditioned and fascinating place to spend a couple of hours on a hot summer afternoon!