Historic museum celebrates 175 years with Strawberry Fest

By Laurie Gordon
STILLWATER — This Sunday, June 25, it's all about strawberries, and it doesn't get much better than hand-picked strawberries and homemade strawberry shortcake. The Historical Society of Stillwater Township will revive its annual Strawberry Festival from noon to 3 pm. at the Stillwater Museum at 900 Main Street.
After a several year hiatus, the Strawberry Festival is returning as an opportunity for members of the area to get together and enjoy history and some good, old-fashioned food and fun. The event will feature strawberries galore and will include strawberry short cake, ice cream, museum tours and music.
“The Women of the Moose (WOM) are assisting us as their community contribution this year,” said Deborah Drumm who has been instrumental in keeping the Historical Society, its Fall Fest and this event vibrant over the years. She is also now the Vice President. “Pete Harvey, the Historical Society's new president, and his wife, Stacey have spent hours cleaning the kitchen making it ready for the festival. He had done an awesome job since taking over as president.”
Peter Harvey said, “My wife, Stacy, and I got involved with the Historical Society of Stillwater Township a couple years ago when our neighbor (Drumm) asked for help with the HSST's Fall Festival coloring contest. We were also interested in finding out more about our home's history. We paid the $30 for our family membership and have been involved since.” Of the Strawberry Festival, Harvey said, “The Strawberry Festival hasn't happened in a few years. It was great when one of our members, Michele Adamski, told us she and the Women of the Moose were interested in helping out with the event. Hosting the Strawberry Festival is a great reason to open up the museum and show off an interesting collection. Generating interest in The Historical Society and eating Strawberry shortcake seems like a win-win!”
Michelle Adamskie is a member of The Women of the Moose and said, “I volunteered on behalf of The Women of the Moose Chapter #1830 to earn volunteer hours for our chapter. I have been a member of the Historic Society for 18 years and thought about how both organizations could benefit. Holding a Strawberry Festival seemed like a good idea.”
Drumm said of the event. “Our community is historic and people look forward to good, old-fashioned fun. Plus we want everyone to visit our museum and help celebrate its 175 anniversary.”
TOUR THE MUSEUM
The museum building consists of two sections, the older, original 1842 school and the more recent addition in 1954 of a kitchen and upstairs display room. The exterior of the building was repainted in 2007, the colors chosen are representative of how it may have looked in the 1800's.
From very early on this school in the Village of Stillwater was known as the "The Academy." Records from 1849 show there were 79 students.
This was not the first school in the Village. The first was near the Dutch Meeting House where the Stillwater Cemetery is today. The Academy was the second school and operated from 1842 to 1909. The third school was south on Maple Ave. [Rt. 521] and served from 1909 until the current Stillwater School was constructed in 1941.
In 1909, the building was condemned, then in 1910 the Board of Education sold the property at public auction for the sum $300 to the The Trustees of Washington Camp No. 124. of Patriotic Sons of America. For 35 years the Patrotic Order of Americans (Camp No. 70), a sister organization to the POSofA, used the building for their purposes.
In 1945 the building was purchased by Amos F. Dixon and Mary W. Dixon for the sum of $800. At that time Mrs. Mary Dixon was the school principal. The library in the newly built school was very crowded so this building was purchased by the Dixon's to serve as the Stillwater Consolidated School Library. In 1948, the Dixon's founded and conveyed the property to the Neighborhood House of Stillwater, Inc. which still exists to this day. Female students would work in the library. To keep the building warm for the girls, Mr. Hiram Beegle, who was the general caretaker, would light a fire in the stove each morning. He lived alone and when he died he left Indian Artifacts, a gun collection and many other items that became the start of the Museum. A new addition was needed to house the Beegle collection so many efforts where put forth in 1954 to raise money. The Library Committee sold books that were no longer needed and Mrs. Charlotte L. Jones of Middleville donated a large sum of funds to erect the two story addition. The Museum was formed at that time. The Mary W. Dixon Library gradually ceased to exist when car transportation became more common and the county opened it's own library.
The museum, where the Strawberry Festival will be held, is a one-of-a-kind walk back into history and it will be open to the public on Sunday. It is located at 900 Main Street in Stillwater. From the center of Newton, drive approximately five miles south on Route 94. When you come to the traffic light with The Fredon Township School on your left, make a right onto County Route 610. This will lead you several miles into the hamlet of Stillwater and the road becomes Main Street where the museum is located.
The Historical Society is always looking for members. For further information about the Fest or membership e-mail president@historicalstillwater.org or visit: www.historicstillwater.org. You can also find The Historical Society on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HistoricStillwater. The Historical Society meets at the museum on the third Saturday of the month at 10 am. The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All residents and friends of historic preservation in the Stillwater area are invited to participate in the meetings and events and to become members. Membership dues are $10/student, $20/individual, $30/family or $300/lifetime. This Sunday's Strawberry Festival is open to the public, and price to attend is just $5. Also mark your calendars for autumn when The Historical Society's famed Annual Fall Festival will be held this year on Saturday, October 14th from 11 am to 4:30 pm.