WESTMINSTER — The Westminster Historical Society Museum is open Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. for the remainder of the summer season.
Visitors can explore the history of Westminster through its many exhibits, new and historic.
“Weep Not For Me” is the museum's new mourning exhibit that features a full size hearse (1910-1920) that would be pulled by a team of black horses in front with the large wheels spinning - or slicing through fresh snow on sleigh runners. Compare this to the modern-day hearse on the roads today that is a long and sleek black car, long enough to carry a coffin.
Visitors can also see the clothing and accessories on display that were used in the Victorian age, and maybe a gravestone or two. There are many cemeteries in Westminster and some famous people are buried there. The museum will have books for sale listing all those buried in town.
Also, new to display are some of the many dairy and agricultural tools from the museum's collection. Did you know that tobacco was once a prime crop in Westminster?
Barbara Greenough's contemporary paintings line the walls. They portray Westminster community members, as well as places and events that took place in the town.
The historical society continues to work on the Bradley Law Office (circa 1810), also open for viewing. As the trunks, books, and papers that William Czar Bradley left behind are examined, local historians have become more aware of the man he was and his many accomplishments. Visiting his place of work is like taking a step back in time to a small early law office in Westminster.