Orange County Historical Society will be open beginning Friday, May 13th

PAOLI – The Orange County Historical Society (OCHS) which is located on the Paoli Square will open on Friday, May 13th, and will be staffed Fridays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. through late fall.

Other times will be available by appointment.  There is no admission fee; however, donations are accepted to help maintain the museum and its collection. 

The historic Thomas Elwood Lindley House is open for tours by appointment only during this time.

The Orange County Historical Society met for its regular monthly meeting on April 26th at the Paoli Public Library meeting room.

Society President Robert F. Henderson updated members on a number of items and projects to date. Henderson reported that Carol Vance has once again been hired to staff the O.C. Historic Museum for the 2022 season. 

Henderson also shared that in preparation for opening up both buildings again to visitors that deep cleaning had been recently completed at the Museum and Lindley House through a partnership with the Orange County First Chance Center.  He also said that he had been in touch with the county officials in regards to a leak and needed roof repairs upstairs at the Museum building.

Volunteers are needed to help and assist with maintaining the back kitchen garden at the Lindley farmhouse this year. 

Board Chairman Terry Cornwell presented a quote to replace the aging roof at the Lindley House from LLC Roofing in the amount of $8,000.  The work was approved and is expected to get underway in the next few weeks.

Henderson along with Vice President Brenda Cornwell provided a progress report in regards to the recent acquisition of the historic Paoli Newspaper collection.  An initial on-site assessment of the collection was recently conducted.  Cornwell who is leading the project work noted that many of the folded newspapers are in brittle condition.  Bound copies along with some of the more historic loose editions will be relocated to the Museum basement for safekeeping. 

Historical Society members agreed to once again sponsor the “Best of Show” award for the Paoli High School’s Advanced U.S. History Students’ annual  “A Night at the Museum” event.

OCHS will be sponsoring two historic traveling exhibits in cooperation with the Indiana Historical Society.  The first one focuses on “Indiana and the Civil War” which will be displayed at the Paoli Library starting May 24 through June 22nd.  A second exhibit is also planned later in the summer entitled, “Faces in the Crowd.

At the close of the business meeting, Kenton Allbright presented an interesting and informative program on Orange County and the Civil War.

The group will meet again on May 24th at the Paoli Library meeting room. Author Bob Moody will be presenting the program on the tragic tale and fate of “Professor Wilbur.”

Those persons interested in learning more about the Orange County Historical Society membership and any of its activities should contact President Robert Henderson at 812-653-1212 or by clicking here or on their Facebook page.