Museum
    Collections

 In keeping with our mission, the Cumberland County Historical Society maintains collections of artifacts significant to our county and its residents.

Our textile collection includes quilts, coverlets, samplers, and other examples of needlework.  Clothing in this collection ranges from the ceremonial to the everyday, and includes military uniforms from the 1800s through the year 2000.

The military history collections naturally consist of weapons and equipment, but CCHS also has items made as art or collected as souvenirs by soldiers.  Notable artifacts include a pitcher, said to belong to Molly Pitcher, but certainly not what she would have used on the battlefield.

Our fine and decorative arts collection showcases the talents of Cumberland County residents.  It includes furniture by many makers, silver by George Hendel, pottery by Samuel Irvine and H.  H. Zeigler, painted plank-bottom chairs, and tall-case clocks by Jacob Hendel and others.  Particularly noteworthy are the Wilhelm Schimmel and Aaron Mountz woodcarvings.  Our collection also includes paintings and drawings by Esther Groome, Holmead Phillips, John and Ross Braught, as well as many other artists.

Collections of everyday materials for household or industrial use range from cookie cutters to cobbler’s tools, and from paper dolls to a printing press.  We have several one-of-a-kind artifacts produced by a local inventor, Daniel Drawbaugh, who almost gained fame as the inventor of the telephone.

Materials from the Carlisle Indian Industrial School include items used by the students, gifts from school visitors including Chief Red Cloud, a school uniform, sports items (some used by Jim Thorpe), and art and vocational items made by the students.

Learn about Donating to CCHS.