Walton House Museum

  

This 1838 stone cottage was given to the historical society in 1971 through the generosity of the devisees of Miriam S. (Mary) Walton. 

The Walton House Museum houses the administrative office of the Historical Society, a variety of exhibits and is a part of Walking Tour of downtown Centerville.

The museum is open Tuesday through Friday, Noon - 4 p.m.  For more information please call 433-0123.

 

 

 

Outside the Walton House Museum

There are many green thumbs at work in the gardens of the Walton House Museum.

The Dr. Jacob Mulford Garden is a botanic medicine garden. It was created from a list of herbs ordered by Dr. Mulford in 1844. The plants grown in the garden were used by doctors of botanic medicine, a system popular between 1820-1850. Some examples are Goldenseal, Ginseng, Lobelia inflata, Bayberry, Evan root, Horehound, Cayenne, Elecampane, and Senna.  It was created and is maintained by Martha Boice.

The Mary Jane Smith Garden is our flower and perennial garden, created for and dedicated to Mary Jane Smith in 1993.  It is maintained by her daughter Mary Higgins and the garden committee.

The sun and shade gardens include an arbor with clematis vines and tropical mandevilla, along with flowering spirea bushes and day lilies. A flowering basket hangs on the privy amongst the shade garden of impatiens, hostas, astilbes, and ferns. Perennials featured include roses, day lilies, iris, monarda, sedums, and chrysanthemums. Annuals spill out of containers on the back porch and in the window boxes that accent the front of the house. Antique urns, donated by the Stingley family, overflow with tropical and annual flowers.

A stone path leads you to a secret garden with a resurrected patio that was once used by the Walton family. Flowering planters share this shaded area with dogwood, boxwoods, and English ivy. The terra cotta pedestal planter is a gift from the Jane Magsig estate.

 

        In the very back section of the backyard is our Chicken House which helps us tell the history of our farms to the many children who come through on their school tours.   

 

 

Inside the Walton House Museum

 

 

 

 The rooms in the house are set up to depict different eras from the 1850s through early 1900s using the artifacts in the societies collection.  Costumes and small collections are changed frequently.

 

 

 

   

 

 
The JEAN E. VAN DYKE pattern glass collection has over 325 small sauce dishes, each a different pattern. Permanently housed in the Walton House Museum, this extensive collection was given to us by Janet and Marion Palmer, niece and nephew of Miss Van Dyke.
 

Our buttonhook Collection, donated by Jack Osenbaugh, includes 653 buttonhooks, each with a different handle. They are housed in four glass and wood wall display cases made by Jack especially for the collection. These simple tools, gathered together, create an awesome collection.