CYNTHIANA, Ky. (LEX 18) — Like stepping into a storybook, the Cynthiana Harrison County Museum takes you back in time to battles fought and buildings burned, tobacco and bourbon booming, and an overall way of life that may feel archaic nowadays.
Pointing out a crib used in the early 1900s, volunteer Karen Bear said, “The older generation enjoys it because they go, ‘Oh, I remember my granddaddy or so and so using this,’ and young people go, ‘Are you kidding me, this is where we used to put babies, in cribs like this?’"
It’s the eye-opening moments from kids and adults alike that make curating 231 years of Cynthiana history a joy.
“It’s been a labor of love. Everyone volunteers their time,” said Harrison County Trust Inc. president Mary Grable.
Grable has been with the organization from the start, vouching for a local museum 30 years ago. An educator, Grable said she was tired of relying on the state capitol for field trips.
“One day I think we just sort of said, ‘Well, we could have a museum of our own.’”
Since then, the museum has come to occupy the historical Rohs Movie Theater on Walnut Street. It’s added dozens of volunteers, thousands of artifacts, and programming for students.
“Everything in here either belonged to someone from Cynthiana or came here from somewhere else but was used by someone in Cynthiana,” explained Grable.
In the museum, you’ll find handwritten love letters from the Civil War, hand-hewn tools used by local farmers, a miniature model of the city from the late 1800s, and more.
For some, the exhibits offer a new perspective on their home, for others it brings a dose of nostalgia, but volunteers feel they're curating more than old photos and moments; they’re offering a space for stories at risk of being lost.
“If it's important for someone to want to pass it on, especially if they don't have anyone to leave it to, they can leave it to the city,” said Grable.
In sum, Bear said, “if you take the time to really look, it represents politics, it represents education, it represents every facet of life in Harrison County. It's such a treasure.”
The museum is open Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment – just call 859-234-7179.
