About Magnolia Historical Society & Museum

 

The Magnolia Historical Society was founded in 1982 by Mrs. Frances M. Hines, Mr. James Cook & Mr. Lester Strangman. These folks combined their collections of Magnolia memorabilia together to start a museum. A meeting was held, a board of directors was formed with Mr. James Cook as the 1st President & Mrs. Frances Hines as the 1st Curator.  The Magnolia Library Center, let us have a room in the building and the museum was opened. As the collection grew, the society realized the need for a larger space. In 2013 MHS was able to purchase the Rev. Richard Blynman School @ 46 Magnolia Ave. from the City of Gloucester to use as a museum & cultural center.

 

The Richard Blynman School was built in the late 1880’s & was opened in 1892. It is a 2 room, wooden schoolhouse which held grades 1 – 9. It closed in 1948 and was used by the village as a community center until it was reopened in the 1960’s & housed 1st & 2nd grades for several more years. Later, it became The Little Red Schoolhouse Daycare center. This building is one of a hand full of 2 room schools left in this country.

 

MHS is thankfully run by the over 300 members & volunteers who form fundraisers for the Blynman Schoolhouse Restoration Project & daily operating expenses of the society. MHS is also the caretakers of Magnolia Point Cemetery. We clean the grounds & have been cleaning the stones & resetting stones.

 

MHS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to collect, preserve, share & teach the beautiful, almost 400 years of Magnolia History, from its original name of Kettle Cove to its common name of Magnolia. MHS is also the cultural center of Magnolia.

 

Your support of the Magnolia Historical Society is greatly needed and appreciated.

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"Preserving Magnolia's past, celebrating the present and embracing her future"