Hidden Treasures?
By Stephanie Elliott, Museum Curator

So what similaries do television shows like Antinques Roadshow, American Pickers, and Hardcore Pawn have with people who work with museum collections? Not a whole lot, but in my opinion they tend to give people a false idea of what a museum curator does. It can be difficult at times when someone brings in an item they found in their grandmother’s attic, or dug up on the side of the road, that they believe is very old and very valuable, to then tell them that it is not exactly what they think it is.

Because museum curators or collection staff are not trained in antique appraisals we cannot give anyone a monetary value of their object. We can research the history of the object and tell them more about it, but that is it. We also do not know exactly what every item is that is brought into the museum. That is one of the things that shows like Antinques Roadshow does not portray is the amount of research that goes into identifying and appraising an object. You also don’t see the hundreds or thousands of items that are brought in that are worth nothing.

It is sometimes difficult trying to let someone down easy when they think they really have something of value. For example, I have had many people bring in what they believe is an original copy of the Declaration of Independence and I have to tell them that it is actually a replica produced in 1976 for the 200th anniversary. I have had people call me a liar and tell me I have no idea what I’m talking about, and in those cases I just have to let it go. I have also had people offer to split whatever profit they make from an item if I just gave them a “ballpark” as to how much it is worth.

I’m not saying that we don’t love for people to bring items into the museum so that we can look at them and hopefully tell them more about the object, but sometimes people have a misconception about what we can and cannot do that can make it difficult at times. One of the most interesting aspects of my job is learning about new objects, where they come from, and the history surrounding them. It can just be challenging at times when shows on TV make it seem like everything is a hidden treasure, when that usually isn’t reality.

Maine Coast

Museums of Old York: An exhausted museum educator’s retreat!
By Kelly Mason: Outreach Coordinator

Entrance to Visitor Center

At the end of a busy school season (a couple thousand children strong), this museum educator found herself a little burnt out. As May came to a close, I found myself loosening my corset and gasping for breath: time for a vacation! (Quick, before summer camps gear up!)

At last, my beloved trip up north to the breathtaking coast of Maine had come! As I packed my bags and left my period clothes to air out, I yearned for peace and quiet and to hear the gentle roar of the ocean breaking on the rocks! Of course, no trip to New England would be complete without a trip to the local Historical Society! York, Maine is an amazing gem of town that is nestled next to the ocean with a rich history that has been wonderfully preserved.

I set out for a day filled with rich history, my spirits high! To my delight, I spotted a school bus and heard the muffled sound of giddy children filing through the galleries. As the greeter at the front desk politely apologized for the inconvenience, I explained that, I too, was a museum educator down in North Carolina. How exciting to see others at work, diligently sharing and preserving the past for future generations! (Just like me!) It brought out a sense of excitement and joy (also relief that for just a day, I could sit back and take it in myself).

Me in the pillory

My husband and I visited multiple of the historic buildings, including the one room school house, tavern, and burial grounds. They have a collection of nine historic buildings in their care! The Gaol (pronounced jail) was by far one of the highlights of the trip. We saw the dungeons and the rooms upstairs where the murderers slept (interestingly, in the room connected to the jailor and his children). It was built in 1719 and ran until 1879. They still have the pillory standing in the front of the building for brave visitors to try! We ended our five hour adventure with a private tour of a new exhibit on WWI given by their lovely curator (A major perk of being a museum professional: we often get behind-the-scene tours).

Needless to say, my visit to the Museums of Old York was a delightful experience. As a museum educator, it is invaluable for me to go and visit other historic sites. It not only gives me a fresh perspective, but also recharges my batteries. It reminds me of how important my job is and why I got into this field to begin with! I am pleased to announce that I am refreshed and ready to jump into summer with my corset tightened and my petticoats fluffed!

Emerson-Wilcox House; 1742

Somebody hire a production crew (or Vive La Youtube!)
By Regan Brooks

There have been a lot of articles being bandied about in various museum forums recently, and though the subject matter is one that has worn a bit thin with museum staffs everywhere, it is still no less relevant: how to maintain relevance in our exhibits and programs and engage modern audiences effectively. Or, in other words, how to not be viewed as a dusty old relic that their grandmother might have enjoyed, keep an audience with the attention span of a goldfish fully engaged and heaven forbid, maybe actually ed-u-mah-cate the little dears.

There are many different theories and twice that many ideas. Some seem to work, some not. I won’t bore you with the details, though I will admit it is something that our staff does talk about on almost a daily basis. One of the best ideas for the teaching of history I’ve seen in a long time comes from two actual high school history teachers in Hawai’i. Think of it as “pre-test Cliff Notes edu-tainment.”

New Spin on an Old Revolution!

A Brief Introduction
By Will Ruark







Well, Hello! My name is Will Ruark and I will be serving Gaston County Museum as the new Programs Assistant. I wanted to introduce myself a little bit. I had the wonderful opportunity to grow up in a little city in Western Maryland called Cumberland. My father was a Maryland State Park Ranger and from an early age he involved me in outdoor programming and historical programming. (Sometimes that involved holding owls half the size of me or wearing colonial garb!) I attended Presbyterian College (Go Blue Hose!) in Clinton, SC and graduated with a BA in History and International Studies. After graduation I accepted two positions in the Maryland State Park Service. I worked a season as a Park Ranger and worked for the Americorps’ group Maryland Conservation Corps. Both positions allowed me to continue doing programming with children and adults, as well as serving the state and nation conserving the environment. (I even had the opportunity to fight Wild Fires out in Idaho and Utah!)



A younger me with a great horn owl!



I recently moved back to the Carolinas and am incredibly excited to assist with programming here at the Museum. I hope to instill my enthusiasm about history through my programs. And, I look forward to seeing you! Come and visit soon!

Gaston County Historic Jail
By Jeff Pruett
As Director of the Gaston County Museum of Art & History I get asked often “what are our plans for the historic jail?” In this blog, I plan to discuss a thumbnail sketch of the historic jail’s past and its future. To begin with, let’s discuss the jail’s interesting history.

In 1848 the Gaston County Jail was completed by Abraham Mauney and his enslaved African-American workers, and Benjamin Morris became the county’s first Sheriff. In the 19th century, it was routine for the Sheriff and his family to live in the jail, so they occupied the lower floors while the prisoner’s jail cells were located on the second floor. It was expected that the Sheriff’s wife and family would do the cooking, cleaning, and laundry for the prisoners.

In 1874, there was a fire in the jail, but the structure still retains original brick, cells, windows, and foundations. The building like other 19th century jails is a two story brick structure with a basement that recesses to the first floor. The walls are twenty-four inch solid load bearing brick walls and the exterior is penetrated by the windows on the upper level that are placed evenly across the front and rear of the building. The original bars are embedded in the windows and they all have granite sills. The work involved in restoring the jail is going to be an undertaking, however with the background from other successful jail restorations steps can be taken to move forward.

If you have input on how you would like to see the jail renovated, we are having a Jail Forum on Thursday, June 5 from 6:30 – 8:30 PM at the museum. After this forum, the museum will be making a formal plan for the jail, creating sketches, and beginning to move forward on the restoration of this priceless structure. Please RSVP to Gina Anderson at 704.922.7681 x100 if you are interested in this project.

GCM's New Administrative Assistant

By Gina Anderson

I am excited and honored to join the Gaston County Museum staff as the new Administrative Assistant.

While I’ve lived in Gaston County all my life, I certainly don’t know all there is to know about the county.

Henry Ford once said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether he is 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” I want to stay young!

I am looking forward to learning more about the museum and the cultural heritage of the county I’ve always called home. In fact, I must share a few very important details I learned about the museum on day one. Without volunteers the museum could not serve the community. Did you know every year the Gaston County Museum of Art and History reaches nearly 20,000 people? How? The museum offers a wide variety of programs, events and exhibits including on-site school field trips, outreach programs, original and inspirational art shows, concerts, summer camp and so much more all while keeping a historical, yet lively, museum open to the public.

It takes volunteers to keep things rolling, and the museum is looking for a few more happy faces to do just that! Please drop by our Volunteer Open House on Monday, May 19, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. We have a volunteer opportunity for you! You will be surprised how volunteering just a few (and I really do mean a few) hours a month can benefit the museum. If you can’t make it to the open house but still want to consider volunteering at the museum, just call or email me! Let’s learn and grow “young” together!

Gina Anderson
Administrative Assistant
704-922-7681 ext. 100
Gina.anderson@gastongov.com

Theodore Roosevelt, Sacajawea, and a Dinosaur!

By Stephanie Elliott

Oh wait, that was the plot of the movie “Night at the Museum”. Well, a typical day might not be that exciting at our museum, but it is still pretty interesting. Although I might be a little biased.

Image from imbd.com

In all seriousness though, one of our goals here at the museum is to make history come alive for our visitors. We take the stories from our past and use exhibits to transport people back to that time and place to learn about what really happened.

You can do the same thing to. All it requires is taking the time to sit down with someone who has experienced something you never have and listening to them tell their story. It’s as simple as that. Now, if you right down that story you get bonus points! “But I have no idea how to do an oral history,” you say. It’s actually pretty easy and as long as you have a true desire to hear what the other person is telling you, you will do fine. So much of our history is lost because we don’t take the time stop and listen.

If you want to really do some research into how to do an oral history you can check out this great step-by-step guide here http://dohistory.org/on_your_own/toolkit/oralHistory.html#SEQUENCE or visit the Smithsonian site here http://www.folklife.si.edu/resources/pdf/interviewingguide.pdf. Some basic principles to go into it with are to let the person you are interviewing do most of talking (try not to interrupt them with another question until they have finished what they are talking about and don’t interject a lot of “mmhmm’s” and commentary of your own). Also, it is good to have a least a few questions written down ahead of time so you have some topics if the conversation comes to a stop. Lastly, it is good to conduct the interview in a quiet space that is comfortable for the person you are speaking with.

Of course there are many more tips that you can utilize, but it really comes down to us just taking the time to talk with our parents and grandparents about their lives and the history they have to share. You never know, what they tell you might be more interesting than the latest movie you saw!