Covid-19 Update: The Richmond Hill History Museum is now open for tours via appointment Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Call 912-756-3697 to reserve your tour.
Click here for more information.
Click here for more information.
Artifact of the Month
sponsored by
The Richmond Hill History Museum is offering a new series to feature an artifact of the month, brought to you by T-Mobile. In general, museums are only able to display a small percentage of their collections at a time due to space and preservation constraints. This project is a great way to showcase some lesser-known artifacts from the Richmond Hill area that visitors rarely get to see. Be sure to visit the museum to see what is new… or in this case, old!
“We are excited to partner with T-Mobile to highlight some of the treasures from the collections of the Richmond Hill History Museum. Each month a different artifact will be the focus of an exhibit to illustrate unique finds from the history of Richmond Hill and Bryan County. So many in our community are not aware of the history of the area and have not visited the museum. We hope that by spotlighting some of the artifacts, that people will come into the museum and see all that it has to offer,” said Jennifer Grover, Executive Director.
WHERE: Richmond Hill History Museum
11460 Ford Avenue
Richmond Hill, Georgia 31324
WHEN: Now - March 15, 2021
Open Tuesday - Saturdays 11 am - 4 pm
COST: Regular museum admission, Members of the Historical Society are free.
“We are excited to partner with T-Mobile to highlight some of the treasures from the collections of the Richmond Hill History Museum. Each month a different artifact will be the focus of an exhibit to illustrate unique finds from the history of Richmond Hill and Bryan County. So many in our community are not aware of the history of the area and have not visited the museum. We hope that by spotlighting some of the artifacts, that people will come into the museum and see all that it has to offer,” said Jennifer Grover, Executive Director.
WHERE: Richmond Hill History Museum
11460 Ford Avenue
Richmond Hill, Georgia 31324
WHEN: Now - March 15, 2021
Open Tuesday - Saturdays 11 am - 4 pm
COST: Regular museum admission, Members of the Historical Society are free.
February Artifact of the Month: Celebrate Black History Month
Oak Level School Desks
Excerpt from Images of America, Richmond Hill, Georgia, by Buddy Sullivan:
"Formal education, separate for black and white [students] at the time, was rudimentary and somewhat haphazard in the early 20th century. There were several small schools in the Ways Station area (now Richmond Hill). The building above is the one-room school for black [students] at Oak Level at the lower end of Bryan Neck, about nine miles east of Ways Station. The exterior was typical of one-room structures for poor white and black people during the Depression era. Henry Ford implemented repairs and upgrades to the one room school buildings for black [students] before supporting the construction of the consolidated George Washington Carver School in the late 1930s."
The teacher's desk and students' desks, which date back to the 1880s, were recovered from the Oak Level school by Charles Boles and are displayed at the Richmond Hill History Museum.
"Formal education, separate for black and white [students] at the time, was rudimentary and somewhat haphazard in the early 20th century. There were several small schools in the Ways Station area (now Richmond Hill). The building above is the one-room school for black [students] at Oak Level at the lower end of Bryan Neck, about nine miles east of Ways Station. The exterior was typical of one-room structures for poor white and black people during the Depression era. Henry Ford implemented repairs and upgrades to the one room school buildings for black [students] before supporting the construction of the consolidated George Washington Carver School in the late 1930s."
The teacher's desk and students' desks, which date back to the 1880s, were recovered from the Oak Level school by Charles Boles and are displayed at the Richmond Hill History Museum.
January Artifact of the Month:
Mary Lou Martin's abilities outweighed her disability.
Excerpt from Dr. Leslie Long's book, The Henry Ford Era in Richmond Hill, Georgia:
"Mary Lou is the daughter of Aimar and Rose Martin of Richmond Hill. Mr. Martin was bookkeeper for Henry Ford. Mary Lou was the victim of polio. The above photo was taken around 1943. Mr. Ford, being aware of her handicap, sent her up to Dearborn to the Ford Hospital for a year of free treatment. When she returned to Richmond Hill, he built her family a home within a block of the school so she could be near the school. Mr. Ford gave her the wheelchair she is sitting in. Through the courtesy of the Martin family, the chair is now on display at the Richmond Hill History Museum. Mary Lou is one of the most admirable persons I have ever known. Despite her handicap she completed high school and went onto college and obtained a degree in education and taught school. She is a very talented lady and, among other things, is an accomplished musician. She plays the piano and sings with a beautiful voice. In addition, she is married and has four children. With her handicap, her accomplishments seem impossible but they are real. In addition to all this, she always has a smile and has a very pleasant personality. I greatly admire her accomplishments." Leslie Long
Mary Martin Donati passed away in 2008. Her wheelchair and photos of the home Henry Ford built for her family are on display at the Richmond Hill History Museum, as well as more information about her family's connection to Henry Ford.
"Mary Lou is the daughter of Aimar and Rose Martin of Richmond Hill. Mr. Martin was bookkeeper for Henry Ford. Mary Lou was the victim of polio. The above photo was taken around 1943. Mr. Ford, being aware of her handicap, sent her up to Dearborn to the Ford Hospital for a year of free treatment. When she returned to Richmond Hill, he built her family a home within a block of the school so she could be near the school. Mr. Ford gave her the wheelchair she is sitting in. Through the courtesy of the Martin family, the chair is now on display at the Richmond Hill History Museum. Mary Lou is one of the most admirable persons I have ever known. Despite her handicap she completed high school and went onto college and obtained a degree in education and taught school. She is a very talented lady and, among other things, is an accomplished musician. She plays the piano and sings with a beautiful voice. In addition, she is married and has four children. With her handicap, her accomplishments seem impossible but they are real. In addition to all this, she always has a smile and has a very pleasant personality. I greatly admire her accomplishments." Leslie Long
Mary Martin Donati passed away in 2008. Her wheelchair and photos of the home Henry Ford built for her family are on display at the Richmond Hill History Museum, as well as more information about her family's connection to Henry Ford.
December Artifact of the Month:
Ford Employee Badges
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