The Rushford Historical Society holds a provisional charter from the New York State Education Department. Founded in 1958, just after Rushford marked its 150th anniversary, the society works hand in hand with the town historian to keep the town’s history and heritage alive.
Its holdings include several historic buildings: the museum at 8982 Main Street, the Gothic School at 9024 Llewellyn Street, and a blacksmith shop at Rushford’s Four Corners, a recent addition. In 2011, the Rushford Grange handed over its building at 8898 Main Street, put up around 1862 as a Presbyterian church. That building is now under restoration, with plans to put it to use for community events.
The blacksmith shop
The blacksmith shop was built in 1908 and ran continuously until 2002. In 2007, the society fully restored it, returning it to its original 1908 dimensions. The original forge and tools survive intact and remain in working order. Several local blacksmiths use the shop, and new smiths are trained there. Over the course of the year, students from various schools visit on field trips to watch work demonstrations. The building is open on major holidays and by group request.
The museum
The museum building went up in the 1860s as a store with living quarters above. From 1950 it served as the town hall and fire station before the museum took it over. The town meeting hall and courtroom remain just as they were, furnishings and all. Inside, the museum gathers a wealth of exhibits from Rushford’s early years, with rooms given over to a parlor, a kitchen, a music room, an agricultural hall, and a carriage hall. Among the pieces on display are a nineteenth-century brougham and a band wagon, both of which once rolled through local parades.
The Gothic School
At 9024 Llewellyn Street stands the first frame school in Allegany County. Built in the 1830s, it has been restored to its 1860 condition, when it served as a private school for boys. One wing holds the living quarters once occupied by the schoolteacher. The building is open for visits by prior arrangement and is used by homeschooled children for educational trips. Group tours can be arranged, with guides in period costume and children set in a classroom scene.
Meetings and membership
Meetings fall on the first Friday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Rushford town hall, open to anyone who cares to come. Each one centers on a program about some local topic, presented by area residents. Dues are $5 a year. The society holds 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and welcomes donations.
Mission
Preserving local history for future generations in Rushford and the surrounding area.
Visiting
The museum stands at 8982 Main Street, Rushford, New York, with mail directed to P.O. Box 133, Rushford, New York 14777. Inquiries reach the society at (585) 437-2340 or [email protected], with John A. Jessop and Helen Lewis as the contacts.
It is open from 10 a.m. to noon and 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturdays between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with other times available by prior arrangement.
Around Rushford
Nearby points of interest include Rushford Lake, Moss Lake, Houghton College, and the first drilled oil well in Allegany County.
Local events
The Rushford Community Band performs in July and August. The Labor Day Celebration has run every year since 1908 over Labor Day weekend, with events at Legion Park on West Branch Road in Rushford and a grand parade that begins at 10:30 a.m. on Labor Day.
Affiliations
The Rushford Historical Society belongs to the Museum Association of New York and the Upstate History Alliance.