Historical museum houses local treasures; needs help
The Randolph County Historical Museum, Inc. met on Thursday, June 18, at t Awbrey Library with five citizens present. They discussed needed repairs to the roof and the balance remaining to be paid on the building. Fundraisers are needed to maintain the building, and volunteers are needed to help clean, paint, make small repairs, and to log an inventory of donated items.
The museum houses a wealth of history, with items marking events of all eras throughout Randolph County. There are three interesting donated quilts/spreads. One was given by Dovie Tobin Burton. The colorful quilt was handmade by Alice Parrish during the 1930s. Parrish used very small scraps of material with meticulous stitching.
A second quilt, donated by Clarice Brookshire, came from Roanoke Christian Church. Their first house of worship was the old Baptist church building on the corner of West Point and Church Street, purchased in 1906. In June, 1907, state evangelist S.P. Speigel held the first meeting in the new church home, and at the close, effected an organization of 25 members. The ladies of the church sought donations for remodeling the church and created the quilt, now housed in the museum. A few hand-stitched names that reflect the donors are: Mrs. Oldham, Mrs. B.E. Satterwhite, Mrs. J.A. Jeffers, Dr. P.G. Trent, Mrs. W.A. Handley, Mrs. Belt White, Mrs. C.C. Jones, R.J. Brumbeloe, and Mr. B.F. Weathers. All of the names are hand-sewn onto quilt squares.
Additionally, a spread donated by Midylene Banks reflects the hard work of a group of ladies at Rock Mills Methodist Church in 1939. In an effort to raise money to remodel the church, the ladies sewed a beautiful yellow and white spread with the names of people who made donations, hand-stitched onto 30 quilt squares. There are approximately 480 names on the quilt, such as: White Head, Mrs. Ben McDonald, Mrs. Jim Towler, and Mrs. W.H. Hall. Businesses also donated, such as: Griffin Hardware Company, Roanoke Furniture and Phillips Hardware.
There are many items needed to maintain the treasures inside the old Post Office building. Items which help to preserve or to give detail to the ephemera, pictures, dolls, tools, clothing, ledger books, etc… Donations of the following will help volunteers to better preserve the history of Randolph County: 8 x 10 black picture frames, 12 x 16 frames, HP ink cartridges #21, #22 and HP photo paper, several two-to-three shelf bookcases, a tape recorder for a self-guided tour, 2-inch notebooks with archival sleeves, five easels for paintings to be displayed, two mannequins, shadow boxes of all sizes, a small desk and chair for a research area. The most needed item is solar blinds for the windows as heat and sunlight are causing damage daily.
Anyone wishing to donate an item may do so on Wednesday mornings between 9 a.m. and noon at the museum. Anyone wishing to make a monetary donation may do so at the Bank of Wedowee, or by calling Treasurer James Harris at 256-395-4310, or by mailing a check to President Wyner Phillips at 938 White Street, Roanoke, AL 36274. All citizens are welcome to attend the monthly meetings at Awbrey Library in Roanoke, on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m.
