Sandy Spring Museum facts for kids
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Sandy Spring Museum (April 2025)
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| Established | January 5, 1981 |
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| Location | Sandy Spring, Maryland, U.S. |
| Type | 501(c)(3) nonprofit history museum |
The Sandy Spring Museum is a special place that helps people learn about the history of the Sandy Spring area in Maryland. It started as a museum to keep old things and stories safe. Now, it also brings people together through fun art and learning programs. The museum helps everyone feel like they belong in the community.
Contents
Discovering Sandy Spring's Past
How the Museum Began
The Sandy Spring Museum was started in 1981 by a man named Delmas Wood. He was an insurance salesman and auctioneer. Mr. Wood noticed that the history of Sandy Spring was slowly disappearing as older people passed away.
He wanted a place to save old furniture, farm tools, photos, paintings, and important papers from the area. Florence Virginia Barrett Lehman also helped to create the museum.
Early Homes of the Museum
The museum first opened in the basement of a local bank in Olney. In October 1986, it moved to a larger building called Tall Timbers. This was a brick house that used to belong to Gladys Brooke Tumbleson.
She was from the Brooke family, who gave their name to nearby Brookeville. Ms. Tumbleson sold the house to the museum for a very good price.
A New Home for History
In 1994, Helen Bentley gave the museum a big piece of land. She was the wife of a famous baseball player, Jack Bentley. Her family had lived in Sandy Spring since the late 1700s.
Most of the money for the new building came from people living nearby. Local architects, Miche Booz and Thomas Bucci, designed the building. They made it look like old barns and houses from the 1700s. This helped it fit in with the area.
The new museum building on Bentley Road opened in 1997. This gave the museum much more space for its exhibits. In 2007, a new part was added. It included a library for research and a place to store the museum's collections.
In July 2022, a special time capsule was buried at the museum. It was created by the Montgomery County Commission on Women. The capsule holds photos, maps, and writings. It will be opened in July 2072.
Exploring Museum Exhibits
What You Can See
The Sandy Spring Museum has many interesting exhibits. You can see a copy of a classroom from the 1800s. There's also a copy of a blacksmith's shop and a general store. You might even spot a tractor made from an old Model T Ford car!
The museum has saved over 15,000 old items and photos from the Sandy Spring area. Some of these items are from as far back as 1650.
Changing Art and History Shows
The museum also has special exhibits that change every three months. These shows often feature art and history, or art and current events. Many of the artists are from the local area.
There is a gallery with windows that shows art made by teachers from Montgomery College. In 2014, two new exhibits were created by local people. One was about veterans returning home after being in combat. The other exhibit was about places where communities gather.
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