Members of the Gilmer Historical Society plan to have their downtown Ellijay museum and office back up and running for spring, summer and fall Thursday, April 2.
The museum, which is usually closed during winter months, is located in the historic Tabor House at 138 Spring Street.
“We’re trying to come up with more dedicated themed rooms for certain subjects. We’re moving some stuff and adding new stuff,” said historical society vice president Wayne Hooper.
The historical society originally planned to have the museum reopened by March 19, but it was delayed to reduce the possibility of exposure to the Coronavirus. They now plan to open April 2, then see how the situation stands for public attendance.
“We’re using this extra time to finish up our remodeling of displays, adding period furniture, touching up paint and reorganizing our period kitchen upstairs,” Hooper said. “Two rooms downstairs have been completely repainted and the former dining room area is now going to be a Victorian period living room with period furniture. We also intend to improve the signage on displays this year.”
Full of ‘living history’
Karen Vitelli, a member of the historical society, noted the different themed rooms in the two-story, Victorian-era house include a room dedicated to the county’s native American history, a Civil War library and a veteran’s room that features vintage military uniforms and other displays.
One of the stories documented in the Civil War room is that of Confederate soldier David Bailey Freeman, Vitelli explained.
“Ellijay is known for many things, specifically as the Mountain Biking Capital of Georgia, as well as for its many hiking trails and rivers, but one thing most people do not known about is the story of ‘Little Dave,’” she said.
“He was the youngest Confederate soldier in the Civil War at 11 years old. One of 10 children, his family was well-to-do and were prominent citizens in the community at that time. Little Dave enlisted as a marker, whose job was carrying a pennant at the end of the line of mounted calvary. His brother asked their mother if David could go with him into camp and help him if needed. He stayed in the Confederate Army until April of 1865.”
Hooper said work is being done to display more pictures from the county’s history and change up exhibits in the balcony rooms that were used for lodging when the oldest standing home in downtown Ellijay was a boarding house in the 1930s.
“We’ve decided to have a whole wall of pictures and we will also be doing a display of (Civil War-era) artillery shells from a collector. Something we’re looking for (more of) is vintage children’s toys,” Hooper said. “Another project I would like for us to do is about the mining and logging industries that were once big in Gilmer County.”
The Gilmer Historical Society Tabor House Museum is open to visitors from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays. Individual or group tours can be arranged by calling ahead at 706-276-1861. Admission is free, but donations are accepted.
“If we can ever have enough volunteers, we could also open on Saturday. We would need two people to work Saturdays,” Hooper said.
The Tabor House also welcomes school field trips, Vitelli noted.
“There’s no reason to go on a field trip out of town when you have this living history right here in town. Just call ahead for reservations,” she said.