Dear Friend of the Museum,

We did it! Our week of opening events was a huge success, with a blend of programs and activities for all segments of our community. Thanks to all who attended and to all who helped throughout the week. It is a great feeling to have the Industrial History Center open.

Please come visit - the IHC is open Thursday and Friday from noon to 4 pm. In the very near future, we will be open on Saturday too.

In addition to our public hours, we have begun working with local teachers to introduce our educational offerings including class visits, walking tours and other educational activities. This outreach is essential to our mission and will become a more substantial part of our operation.

We are so grateful to have financial support to launch these efforts. BankProv has awarded a grant to support our education programs, and with the generous support of a museum patron, we have established an endowment that provides funding for a portion of staff salaries. Both are building blocks for our future.

Read on below for more highlights about our opening celebration.

And thank you all for your interest and support of both the Amesbury Carriage Museum and the Industrial History Center.

John Mayer, Executive Director
jmayer@amesburycarriagemuseum.com

The week that was. Our Grand Opening!

The GRAND Opening - Friday, October 15 – with 200 people gathered on our lawn, a ribbon cutting, proclamations made, and tours of the IHC. A thrilling milestone for our small organization!

Family Day – Saturday, October 16 – with 500 people who took part throughout the day in workshops, activities, and tours. The Friends of the Amesbury Public Library and Zach Fields Drums and Music participated in making the day fun for all.

Flatbread Community Fundraiser – Tuesday, October 19 – we are so grateful to our neighbors, Flatbread Company, who have welcomed and supported the development of the IHC over the past two years. Their community fundraisers generate financial support and focus attention on local organizations – like us! Thank you Flatbread!

Celebrating Motion, Industrial History New England, and the GRAND Finale – Saturday, October 23. Our Saturday program tied into a long-standing partnership with the Society for Industrial Archaeology. Celebrating Motion – provided an exclamation point to our focus on industrial history and worklife in the region. And with our colleagues from Industrial History New England, we celebrated our connection to the events that profoundly shaped our community. And finally – what could be better than a brass band made up of 20 friends with their trombones, trumpets, drums, and more? We enjoyed a raucous celebration of music in the millyard!!! It was a wonderful end to our week.

Curator’s Choice – Celebrating Motion – here is a YouTube video of a full-size replica of the Richard Trevithick locomotive made in 1802. Thanks to our friend, John Bowditch (and our keynote speaker on Saturday) for sharing this short video of the first working, steam locomotive made in England. The making of machines was woven into the early history of Amesbury.