A local history museum is making room for new displays, and that could be good news for those interested in Civil War or World War II history.
The Tabor House Museum, at 138 Spring Street, is clearing out a portion of its Civil War display room, which includes books and other material on the War Between the States.
The museum operates in the oldest standing house in downtown Ellijay, and space for new displays is limited. The museum staff plans to keep the Civil War Room and its displays, but the books just don’t get much attention from those who visit, noted Karen Vitelli, museum volunteer.
“Dalton State College used to come over and borrow our books for research, but now they’ve gone to Google,” said Vitelli.
“Most of the people who tour the museum, they’re just listening to the tour information. They don’t really look at the books. We’ve had a lot more donations lately that we want to put up in display cases. We’re going to (move the books) and have them downstairs.”
Several of the sale items are duplicates accumulated over the last 10 years, said Wayne Hooper, museum volunteer. Some of the items for sale are from the museum’s veterans room and are about World War II history, he noted.
“(Many of) these books were donations from members who thought we were a good repository for Civil War history books that are now falling out of favor in many school curriculums due to political correctness,” Hooper said.
“We’re setting aside many of these duplicate books to be sold to anyone interested at a very low price of $1 to $5. We also have VHS tapes and DVDs for sale for people who prefer to watch their history.”
Proceeds from the book and VHS/DVD sales will be put back into the museum, Vitelli noted.
“We have a big variety (of books). There are reference books, history books, stories on soldiers and others,” she said.
Hooper said the museum has welcomed more visitors this year than in the past five years altogether, which furthers the need for additional displays.
The museum also has new hours and a new website (GilmerCountyHistoricalSociety.org), Hooper noted. It’s open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, from mid-March to mid-December.
Questions about the books for sale can be left at 706-276-1861.