Walworth Historical Society and Museum

The Walworth Historical Society is a volunteer organization that was officially established in 1975. Prior to this time, meetings were held at the homes of those interested in preserving the local past. Two meetings were held at the Walworth High School to discuss the possibility of creating an historical society. Several meetings were also held at the Freewill Elementary School. Some of the people who were instrumental in organizing the Walworth Historical Society were: Ethel Henning, Dorothy Petty, Chuck Bills, Hazel Bassage, Howard and Pearl Billings, Cliff and Bernice Nortier, Cliff and Emily Huntley, Gene Bavis, Joe Finley, and John Traas to name a few. A provisional charter was received from New York State in January of 1979 and was extended in 1985 and 1987. The permanent charter was finally received in 1996.

In 1987, Mrs. Clifford (Emily) Huntley donated a parcel of land on Academy Street for a museum. When the Walworth Grange sold its building on Main Street, Hazel Bassage and Emily Huntley persuaded them to give a substantial amount of money to the Walworth Historical Society for a new museum. The Hoffman Foundation also provided funds. Other fund raisers were conducted toward building a museum.

Commemorative plates of the three-story Walworth High School (erected in 1857) and the old cobblestone Walworth Academy (erected in 1842) were sold. Both of these buildings were razed in 1930 to erect the Walworth High School building that still stands across from the museum. John Traas and Charles Pembroke wrote books about different aspects of Walworth history. Money from the sale of these books goes into the Walworth Historical Society treasury. Still another source of revenue for the WHS has been the sale of calendars, Christmas ornaments, and coverlets depicting scenes from Walworth.