The Museum, built in the 1850s, was a typical Greene County farmhouse made of locally fired brick. In the late 1800s, several wings were added, and it became the Poor Farm to house the county's indigents. They planted crops and raised farm animals that fed them. The county leased the building to the Historical Society in 1969, and it opened as a museum in 1971.
One of the rooms is devoted to an exhibit of early watches and clocks. The early watch and clockmaker was a talented craftsman, capable of precise work. He was also the village jeweler, as seen in the many jeweler's tools in this exhibit. Most of the watch and clockmakers' tools displayed in this exhibit are from an outstanding repairman who had a shop in nearby Claysville, PA, before the turn of the century. He moved to Washington, PA, in the 1920s and sold the shop in the 1950s, working for the new owner until 1960, when he was 90! Many of these precision tools were handmade as the need for a particular tool would arise. The lathe and spindle on the nearly 100-year-old workbench were probably originally on a separate table by themselves, powered by a foot treadle. Many small parts and crystal cabinets were also a part of the Claysville shop. This exhibit was generously donated by the Reverend Robert and Mrs. Shirley Peters of Waynesburg.
There are fourteen furnished period rooms with decor ranging from Colonial to Victorian era furnishings. A full-size country store, complete with a coffee mill and "cure-all" remedies for what ails you, is a favorite of visitors. The main exhibit hall features a variety of exhibits about Greene County's history. The Doorway From Our Past exhibit shows many of the changes in our daily lives that have taken place over the past two centuries.
A fun and informative worksheet is available for an interactive exhibit view. A fun project for families. Although not currently on display due to its fragile nature, the Museum has preserved this Civil War Flag. The Local 140th Regiment reenacts Civil War battles and encampments regularly. They are a non-profit organization trying to preserve the country's heritage as living historians. They participate in many events, presentations, and functions to further the education of the local communities.
Also on display are quilts, period clothing, early glassware, and an extraordinary birdhouse over six feet tall and containing 104 rooms. The large birdhouse was built by Warren Jacobs, who took an interest in birds as a child and developed this interest into the "Jacobs Birdhouse Company." The Company was located in Waynesburg, and the birdhouses were sent all over the U.S., and several were sent abroad.
He made a variety of houses in various sizes and styles. His particular favorite bird was the Purple Martin. The Company was closed at the time of his death in 1947. This particular Birdhouse is called the "Capitol," and contains 104 rooms, weighs over 500 pounds, and is over six feet tall. The time on the clock represents the time of the end of the Spanish American War and was painted on all the "Capitol" clocks. He also built handmade wooden sleds and had an extensive bird-egg collection. On the 19 acres surrounding the Museum are several of the original outbuildings from when the Poor Farm was in operation, reconstructed log cabins, and a Narrow Gauge Steam Locomotive from the Waynesburg & Washington Railroad. The Steam Engine is pulled out of the shed for viewing during special events.
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