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For the Barrow County News
The sidewalks of downtown Winder were crowded with students on Friday, Nov. 20, as the eighth grade Georgia Studies classes from Winder-Barrow Middle School visited civic and historical sites in the county seat.
In groups of 25, nine classes, led by their teachers and other chaperones, rotated among several downtown venues.
The visit was coordinated by Susan Sheffield, Georgia Studies Chairman at Winder-Barrow Middle School and volunteers from the Barrow County Historical Society.
While some students stopped in at the public safety complex to learn about the history and function of the Winder Fire and Police Departments, others gathered in the Betty Jo Maddox Community Room (courtesy of The Peoples Bank) to hear Superior Court Judge Penn McWhorter, now a senior judge, or District Attorney Brad Smith talk about the judicial branch of government and its place in Barrow County history.
Groups of students completed a scavenger hunt at the Barrow County Museum where students traded answers to questions about Barrow County History for strands of beads, reminiscent of the trade of land for beads that Umasauga made with early settlers in 1786.
Students also visited the Caboose Museum, Lay’s Milk House, the Gainesville Midland Engine 208 and the Winder Depot, which is now home to the Chamber of Commerce, where they learned more about the importance of the railroads to the development of Winder and Barrow County.
A walking tour of Concord Cemetery and "Winder’s Most Historic Site" took students past some of the homes in the downtown historical district.
The Barrow County Museum, located in the original Barrow County Jail at 74 W. Athens St., is operated by the volunteers of the Barrow County Historical Society as a service to the citizens of Barrow County and welcomes individual or group tours. Admission is free.
All exhibits in the Museum and other facilities have been donated by Barrow County businesses, citizens or their families.
Donations of artifacts or financial support to maintain the exhibits are welcomed.
The historical society currently features a 2010 Calendar "Preserving the Past for the Future" which highlights several scenes from Barrow County History. Several other items and books are available for purchase to benefit the historical society while furthering the history of the area. The items make unique holiday gift-giving ideas.
Regular museum operating hours are Monday-Friday 1-4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The museum is also open for extended hours on selected Saturdays and for "Night at the Museum."
Call the Museum at (770) 307-1183 for more information or to arrange a group tour.
— Kathy White is among the members of the Barrow County Historical Society volunteering their time to enhance the educational experiences of museum visitors and to help preserve and foster an appreciation of Barrow County’s rich heritage.
