New Freedom museum opens Saturday

President Abraham Lincoln rode a train that passed through New Freedom while on his way to give his famous address in Gettysburg, said Diane Folger.

"There's a lot of history in New Freedom, and that's what we're trying to get out, the value that New Freedom had back in that time when the train was running on Northern Central railroad," said Folger, a borough resident.

The borough's history will be on display in The Heritage Museum of New Freedom.

The museum's grand opening is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 22 Railroad Ave. in the borough.

The museum was developed by the 35-member New Freedom Heritage, which works to preserve the borough's history, as well as the borough's cultural character, said Folger,

New Freedom Heritage Vice President Brenda Putnam straightens a historic baseball uniform in the historical society's Heritage Museum of New Freedom. The museum is hosting a grand opening 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. (Bill Kalina Photo)

the Heritage president.

The grand opening will include a book signing from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m. with Bob Ketenheim, author of "Around New Freedom."

At 1 p.m., a Benjamin Franklin impersonator will present "Ben Franklin from Beginning to End."

The museum will be open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the first Saturday of every month, Folger said. There is no entrance fee, she said.

The museum features the "Free Family Quilt" donated by Kathleen Craig, a Virginia resident who is a descendent of the Free family who founded New Freedom in 1873, Folger said.

Artifacts: Museum artifacts include old photographs, railroad items, old high school memorabilia and yearbooks and sports items, including trophies, uniforms and pictures of teams, she said.

There are products and equipment on display from past businesses, including American Insulator, Charles G. Summers Jr. Cannery and sewing factories, Folger said.

Established in 2005, New Freedom Heritage has been working on museum plans since 2008, the year the group acquired a building for it. The facility was renovated and prepared to house museum items, she said.

Over the past two years, the group collected and received donated items from borough residents and the local government, Folger said.

"We're excited to have this opening, to have our history on display," she said.

Jeff Halapin, the borough's mayor, said he had a chance to go through the museum and is impressed by what he saw.

"(The New Freedom Heritage has) done a fantastic job," he said. "It's just the best and I'm glad they finally got it open. I hope that people from outside the borough will come and see this museum."

--Reach Eyana Adah McMillan at 505-5438.

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New Freedom museum opens Saturday