Help the Maidstone Bicentennial Museum preserve, promote local history

by Sylene Argent

Running a museum takes the efforts of many – each contributing their own time and efforts – to keep the housed artifacts in top shape and the community engaged with the stories that preserve local history.

In an effort to gather some help to carry out those essential tasks, a volunteer recruitment night was hosted at the Maidstone Bicentennial

Curator at the Maidstone Bicentennial Museum, which is located on County Road 25, said the event offered an opportunity for current volunteers to explain what the museum offers in regards to programming, community events, and the items and artifacts displayed in the facility that once served as the municipal building for Maidstone.

Beaulieu said volunteers of any age are students needing to obtain their community service hours.

The first Municipal Town Hall was built in 1875 and destroyed in a fire in 1914. The second facility was then built and remained the town hall until 1964.

With the completion of the Museum’s expansion and the newly added barn, a variety of skillsets are needed to run the Museum. It offers a variety of displays portraying different historical eras, including WWI, WWII, and the Indigenous component, and rum running. It also has a greeting and postcard collection, a nice collection of textiles from the Victorian through to Edwardian eras, in addition to early medical and dental, schooling, and household item displays.

Volunteers can do anything from helping to organize or re-enact at encampments and special events, learn and teach pioneer skills – such as rope making, blacksmithing, and woodworking – help keep the facility clean, and lend a hand during barbeque fundraisers.

Volunteers are also needed to use their talents to create knitted and crocheted items for the gift shop, help prepare for and run summer camps, and care for the Maidstone Bicentennial Museum’s Native Heritage Gardens that was certified as a Wildlife Friendly Habitat through the Canadian Wildlife Federation in early 2021.

Another avenue volunteers can help with is conducting historical research on artifacts or local history, which can lead to creating historical books on the area.

“There is so much history out there that is not recorded,” Beaulieu said. “It would be nice to interview some of our seniors.” She added it would also be nice to conduct some research on rum running, for instance.

Storytellers to help get youths interested in history are also needed for when the story time program gets up and running again.

Beaulieu noted adults who want to get involved will need to provide a police clearance before volunteering.

Those interested can provide as much time as they have available. That can be just coming in for a few hours during events to help out, or getting out once a month to pitch in.

“We are looking for a volunteer-base, so when we need help, we can put it out there, and whoever is available can come out and give us a hand,” she said.

“This is a community Museum,” she said. “We work hard, but we like to have fun.”

With all the neat things going on at the Museum, interest has continued to increase.

Volunteers with the

Maidstone Bicentennial Museum have been creative in getting new people in the door. One of those ways is by offering the book nook, where the historical works of local authors are available.

This has brought in many individuals to the site, who have never been there before, Beaulieu said.

During Heritage Week, the Maidstone

Bicentennial Museum will host a book signing with Laurie Brett for her newly published piece, “The Rising Village: An Early History of Essex, Ontario” in February. Those interested in becoming a volunteer with the Maidstone Bicentennial Museum can call (519) 727-8811 to learn more.