301 South Walnut
Sherman, TX 75090
| Tuesday - Saturday | 10 am - 4:00 pm |
|
Marcia K. Rolbiecki
phone: 903-893-7623
|
We are located in a 1914 Carnegie Library building which is a Texas Historical Landmark and is on the National Registry of Historic Places. There are three WPA oil-on-wood paintings in the building which were done by Texas artist, James Swann, who personally oversaw their hanging in 1934 and where they remain today. The museum has both temporary and permanent exhibits which display the collection of over 50,000 objects, 9,000+ of which are historic photographs. We host a free monthly lecture series where visitors are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch and we supply chips & drinks. Subject matter varies from local and state history to quilts and how to care for your own collections. We also show free DVD's from PBS's "American Experience" series monthly. Each January we sponsor our version of the "antique roadshow" when we invite visitors to bring in their treasures for an "estimate of value" from local antique dealers. We also sponsor fun fundraisers throughout the year to raise money for Capital Improvements. The museum
is happy to assist visitors with research when they come in personally. We will conduct tours of the museum exhibits for any visitor who wishes it and
we encourage groups. Donations are gratefully accepted.
To collect, preserve and interpret the history of the North Texas and Red River area.
In 1976, in honor of the Bi-Centennial, a group of local concerned citizens formed a museum association to gather the history of the area for preservation. They asked the City of Sherman, TX for permission to use the old Carnegie Library building which had stood vacant for several years after the new library opened. The museum opened in 1976 as the Sherman Historical Museum; later changed to the Red River Historical Museum. The museum was manned by volunteers until the mid-1980's when the first "paid" director, Sherri S. McLeRoy, was hired. She later wrote "Black Land, Red River" a history of Grayson County which we sell in the museum store today. In 2005, at the request of the Friends of the Museum, the City
of Sherman placed the building and the museum collection permanently in the
hands of the Friends who had acted as managers since 1976. The Friends have
approved plans for an elevator addition to the Carnegie building and have
launched a Capital Campaign to raise funds for the project. Future plans also include the
restoration of the former Walnut Street Church of Christ building, adjacent
to the Carnegie, which is also owned by the Friends of the Red River Historical Museum.
9,000+ historic photographs
quilts and textiles
vintage clothing
porcelain
farm implements and ranch house furnishings
Pre-Victorian and Victorian furniture
43 black & white prints from the Erwin E. Smith collection of photographs
Lunch Lectures, History Saturdays
all available free of charge
Children's workshops scheduled in the summer for a small fee; various
subjects of interest
free gallery tours available upon request
Access: General Public, Students, Scholars
Appointment required: Yes
"The Sentinel" a quarterly newsletteris sent to the museum membership and general mailing list.
Monthly activity reports and quarterly fiscal reports made to the Friends board of directors only.
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