Written by Maegan Collins, Media & Communications Coordinator Those that laid the cornerstone of the Customs House and Post Office building in 1898 had no clue about the spectacle that the infamous building would become on the evening of October 3, 2020. Amid a global pandemic that forced the Museum to cancel its annual Flying…
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Let’s Discuss: Cemetery Symbolism
Written by Meghan Gattignolo, Visitor Services Coordinator Greenwood Cemetery in Clarksville, Tennessee is the final resting place for many distinguished and well-known Clarksville residents. A walking tour of this beautiful place is not only filled with the individual stories of the deceased, but also includes discussion about the plethora examples of funerary art seen on…
4 Reasons to Enjoy a Cemetery Tour This October
Written by Meghan Gattignolo, Visitor Services Coordinator There are two kinds of people in this world: those who are fascinated by cemeteries and those who avoid them. If your curiosity is piqued when you pass by elaborate monuments enclosed behind cast iron gates, I have some good reasons to join a walking cemetery tour soon. …
Member Spotlight: Dee Boaz
Mrs. Boaz has been with the Museum since before the doors opened in 1984. She helped found Flying High, the Museum’s premiere annual fundraiser, and the Guild, the Museum’s volunteer group. If you’re interested in supporting the Museum through membership, you can find out more here.
The Wonderful Wurlitzer
Written by Meghan Gattignolo, Visitor Services Coordinator *Note: this item is no longer in the Museum’s collection.* A future visit to the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center may include the playful plinks of piano music resonating through the galleries. We recently accepted a donation to our permanent collection by Patricia Eisenmann Donahue; an original…
Shattering Barriers: 60 Years Later, Wilma Rudolph’s Olympic Gold Medal Runs Still Inspire
Written by Maegan Collins, Media & Communications Coordinator Destined to a life of immobility, a child who suffered from severe illnesses grew up to become the fastest woman in the world, a civil rights activist, educator and an inspiration to a world of admirers. Now, 60 years after winning three gold medals at the 1960…
Take a Piece of the Museum Home at Seasons: The Museum Store
Written by Meghan Gattignolo, Visitor Services Coordinator Every awesome museum has a gift shop, and the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is no exception. Since the early days, when the entirety of the Museum was contained within the 1898 Post Office and Customs House building, it had a gift shop. Granted, the shop was…
Celebrate Suffrage: 100 Years of Votes for Women
Written by Meghan Gattignolo, Visitor Services Coordinator “Oh, we were suffering until suffrage….” Schoolhouse Rock songs taught me many things, not the least of which was the difference between the words suffer and suffrage. As a kid, I never grasped the importance of my ability to vote one day, even with the aid of a…
John Montgomery: Clarksville’s Patriot
Written by Meghan Gattignolo, Visitor Services Coordinator After finally watching the musical Hamilton earlier this month, my interest in the American Revolution has been renewed. I’m sure I’m not the only one. I have bought a copy of the Federalist Papers – which I swear I will finally read – and the biography that inspired…
The Postmaster’s Office
Written by Meghan Gattignolo, Visitor Services Coordinator A trip to visit the 1898 building of the Museum involves seeing Mr. Bailey, our Postmaster. He stands in the historic Post Office and Customs House of the Museum’s original building quietly sorting mail. When Bailey’s real-life counterpart started work at our Customs House and Post Office, it…