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Museum |
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Museum Trailheads |
Displays |
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The Stone Museum was built in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as a museum for Camp White and for the people of the state. The outside of the building and the fireplace are local field stone taken from old stone walls. All inside woodwork is American chestnut which was salvaged from the trees killed by the chestnut blight. Ironwork was produced by the Camp White blacksmith. The building architect was Robert Linehard, carpenter was Robert Loughlin, and the mason was August Casciani. The museum is open evey Sunday from Memorial Day (May) until Columbus Day (October) and Saturdays through July and August. A display board with trail maps and forest information has been provided through grants from the Society of American Foresters to assist forest visitors when the museum is closed.
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DisplaysReopening in 1992, the museum currently exhibits mounted taxidermy specimens of many mammals and birds that are common in the forest. Most of these specimens were road kills. Identification is easy and fun with samples of twigs, bark and wood of local trees on display, and electric games to match animal tracks, trees and birds with their pictures. Display cases in the museum contain artifacts from Indian and colonial sites in the area, and describe the early iron industry when northwestern Connecticut was among the world's leading producers of iron. The forges and blast furnaces were fueled by charcoal which was produced in local forests from 1734 to 1923. Remnants of these charcoal hearths can still be seen in the woods today. |
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DioramasThree dioramas show events in the history of Peoples Forest. In the 1930s, 250 men occupied Camp White, a Civilian Conservation Corp camp. Some of the projects of the camp were building the museum, trails, and roads in the forest, and planting many of our forest trees. The layout of Camp White is illustrated in a diorama. The Barkhamsted Lighthouse, a community of Indians, blacks and whites who lived in the area from 1778 to 1860, is depicted in another diorama. This site has been excavated by Central Connecticut University and the results of the study were published in a book, "Village of Outcasts" by Kenneth Fedor, available at the museum. Indian activities at the soapstone quarry in the forest are depicted in a third diorama - soapstone bowls were an important part of the Indian culture for about 2,000 years, starting around 4,000 years ago. On exhibit are also a wide range of Indian artifacts, including soapstone and Indian pottery bowls, arrowheads and other weapons and tools and decorative art from the local forest area. |
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TrailsPictured here are two of the three major trails which leave from the museum parking lot. the orange blaze indicates the Agnes Bowen, a 2.5 mile trail. The blue blaze is the Robert Ross trail covering 2 miles, and the third which is located on the same side of the parking lot as the Museum is the Elliott Bronson trail (red), that winds it way for 1.5 miles. See the Trails page for more descriptions. |
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