Palm Harbor Museum facts for kids
The Palm Harbor Museum is a special place in Palm Harbor, Florida. It's located inside the historic Hartley House. This museum helps us learn about the rich history of Palm Harbor and nearby areas. It used to be called the North Pinellas Historical Museum.
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The Historic Hartley House
The Hartley House was built a long time ago, between 1914 and 1919. A man named Thomas W. Hartley built it for his family. His father, James Hartley, had bought the land around 1880. Thomas, his wife Ida, and their four children – Lucy, Clarine, Leonard, and Orion – lived here.
How the House Was Built
The house was built very strongly using concrete blocks. These blocks were actually made right there on the property! Workers used sand from a nearby area to create them. Each block was quite heavy, weighing about 84 pounds. The outside of the blocks was made to look like real stone.
The blocks were held together with a special pink mortar. People say this unusual color came from crushed berries! Inside, the walls were also made of strong concrete. This helped support the second floor.
Life in the Hartley House
The downstairs rooms in the house had very tall ceilings, about 10 feet high! The upstairs rooms were a bit shorter, at 8 feet. Interestingly, the Hartley family never fully finished the upstairs rooms because they ran out of money.
Life was different back then. The house didn't even have electricity until the 1940s! Also, there used to be two wooden porches when the house was new. But they wore out and were taken down by the 1950s.
The Museum's Mission
In 1996, Pinellas County bought the Hartley House. It became a "satellite campus" for Heritage Village, another historical site. In 1998, the Palm Harbor Museum officially opened its doors.
The museum's main goal is to save and share the history of Palm Harbor and its surrounding communities. This includes places like Crystal Beach, Florida, Ozona, East Lake, Wall Springs, and Curlew. The museum focuses on Florida's pioneer history from the 1800s until today. It also includes some information about Native American history in the area.
What You Can Explore
The Palm Harbor Museum is run by the Palm Harbor Historical Society. You can find it at 2043 Curlew Road. When you visit, you can see many interesting exhibits.
Current Exhibitions
- Citrus Industry: Learn about how important oranges and other citrus fruits were to Florida. You can even see exhibits inside a real, renovated Grove House!
- The Hartley Family: Discover more about the family who lived in this house.
- Environmental Alterations: This exhibit is called "A Land Worth More Than Remembering." It teaches you about changes to the local environment.
- Faith Mission Children's Home: Learn about a special home for children.
- Where is Palm Harbor: Explore the geography and development of the area.
- Recognizing African American Contributions: Discover the important roles African Americans played in the community.
The museum also shows you how the Hartley family lived during their time. You can even learn about Thomas Hartley's ladder factory!
Plan Your Visit
The Palm Harbor Museum is a great place to visit, and admission is free! There are fun activities for people of all ages. You can also use the picnic tables on the museum grounds.
The property belongs to Pinellas County. It's like a small "pocket park" where everyone is welcome to visit. You'll also see native plants and signs outside that teach you more about the history and environment of this important landmark.
