The Springs Museum
| First settled by the white man between 1750 and 1775, Springs is one of the oldest communities in the area and boasts a rich treasure-store of history, folklore and tradition, much of which is embodied in the Springs Museum. The home, the shop, the farm and the trades of our pioneer ancestors are depicted in artifacts and documents housed in several buildings on property purchased by the Springs Historical Society in 1964, adjoining the grounds on which the Annual Springs Folk Festival is held. |
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The Springs Museum, depicting the life of the early settlers
of the Casselman Valley, is located on Route 669 in the tiny village of
Springs, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Lying midway between Grantsville,
Maryland (on U.S. Route 40) and Salisbury, Pennsylvania (on State Route
219), Springs is the highest unincorporated village in Pennsylvania and
lies at the foot of Negro Mountain, whose summit, Mt. Davis, boasts an altitude
of 3,213 feet about sea level. |
The strenuous labors of the early housewife are portrayed in silent eloquence by the rye-straw bread baskets, the darkened tallow lamps and candle-holders, the earthen crocks and the heavy iron griddles, kettles and skillets in the museum Kitchen.
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In the Living Room - Bedroom rope beds, cradles, rockers and tables made by patriarch artisans of the Casselman Valley provide an appropriate background for beautiful hand woven wool coverlets made long ago by local craftsman.
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| In the Spinning and Weaving Room the Flax Story and Wool Story are told by reels and spinning wheels and looms, some of which are over 200 years old. Early flax breaks, scutches and swing knives as well as spun and un spun flax fill in the gaps in the story, "from flax field to woven cloth". |  |
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The story of lighting, form early pioneer days to the 20th
Century; the story of pottery making; and the story of basket-making are
told through collections acquired since the founding of the museum in 1957.
In the Scullery, a sausage grinder, dated 1755, and a sausage-stuffer
from the ancestral home of Nancy Hanks are among the oldest implements
on display. The baker's peel, the apple butter maker's great copper kettle
and wooden stirring paddle are reminiscent of the pioneer's struggle for
daily food. |
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In the Pioneer Trades Room the tools of the cooper, the carpenter, the cabinetmaker, the blacksmith and the cobbler give silent testimony to the hands which labored for the well-being of the communities which sprang up along the roads and in the spring-fed valleys of the Alleghenies. |  |
| UPSTARS, guests can see several major displays:
In the Early Church Display communion (foot washing) tubs, a communion table, communion cups, and church benches, as well as very old Bibles and hymn books provide excellent material for a study of the religious history of the Casselman Valley. The Early Schoolroom is complete with teacher's and students' desks, school books, dinner pails, water tank and a dunce cap. The First and Second Post Offices of Springs are exemplified by certificates, a very old postmaster desk, a tall cabinet with mail compartments, and photographs of an early Springs postmaster. An Early Country Store is stocked with an infinite variety of nostalgic items, from quaint yard goods to cheese cutters and spectacles, and even a hoary tobacco-cutter. The Children's Toy Display is a collection of ingenious toys made by pioneer fathers to entertain children during long winter days. Early Books and Newspapers are displayed in glass cases
in the southwest corner of the huge room. Some of these treasures are
fragile with age. |
| In the ANNEX: A Rock and Fossil Collection is the most complete one found in any private museum within the area. Of special value are the many fossil imprints of the Coal Age (Carbonifernous Period) for which this mountain region is noted. Also in the annex an exhibit depicting coal production in the local area is on display-featuring pictures of local coal miners, equipment they used and how mining effected their families. In the large Barn-Museum are housed the tools used on the farm; grain cradles, sickles, flails and fanning mills; wooden water pipes and augers to bore them; shaving-horses and cider presses. Also on display is a rare two-horse treadmill, a Conestoga wagon made in the area, a stone turning-lathe and vehicles of travel (buggies, carriages, etc.). |
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The Springs Museum is open Memorial weekend through the first
weekend in October except by appointment. Wednesday-Friday 1:00-5:00 p.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m..- 2:00 p.m. Closed Sundays |
SPRINGS
MUSEUM
SPRINGS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
P.O. BOX 62
SPRINGS, PA 15562
Phone: (814) 622-2625
If no answer, call 662-4159, 662-4366