By Bruce Frankel

Just a half block from the corner of Main Street in the center of downtown Kernersville, you cannot help but notice the incredible transformation that has been taking place at 127 West Mountain Street.

For many residents who remember when the concept was first proposed, it is hard to believe that the Kernersville Museum Foundation, which was chartered in May 2013, is now taking shape as an exciting Town venue for all to appreciate and experience.

Thanks to the generous donations of the late 1800’s David Bodenhamer House, commonly known as the Bellamy House, by John and Bobbie Wolfe along with the support and efforts of the Town of Kernersville, and the Kernersville Historic Preservation Society, the community has rallied to bring the Museum to life.

With an ambitious goal of establishing a meaningful and significant venue that would collect, display, and preserve the history of the Town of Kernersville, the Museum is in the early stages of developing the appropriate framework.

In 2014, with the collaboration of the Town of Kernersville and The Kernersville Historic Preservation Society, the Kernersville Museum Foundation expanded its holdings to include The Kernersville Depot, an 1800’s Norfolk-Southern Railroad train depot which was saved from demolition by the Kernersville Downtown Preservation and Development Committee in 1998.  It was moved to its current location and restored through funds donated by the Harmon Linville Estate.

As Joe Pinnix, the President of the Kernersville Historic Preservation Society, recently commented, “I am so very excited about the new Kernersville Museum.  It will finally give our town a place to display and preserve links to our past that otherwise might be lost forever.  Not only will it give our lifelong residents a place to see and rekindle memories, it will give newcomers a place to learn of Kernersville’s rich history and heritage.  I am especially thrilled about the educational impact that the museum will have on our children.  To see, in person, and actually touch a piece of history is vastly different than reading about it in a book or seeing an image on a computer screen.”

It is this motivating vision that has inspired individuals, associations, local businesses, and foundations as well as the Town of Kernersville to provide the needed resources required to build out the grounds and structures including the current rebuilding of the garage facility.

In addition to the ongoing facility improvements, the Kernersville Museum Foundation recently announced the appointment of Jessica Bierman as the new Executive Director.

“This will allow us to take our Museum to the next level by preserving our culture, artifacts, photographs, records, and historical assets of the Kernersville area,” stated Jim Taylor, President of the Kernersville Museum Foundation’s Board of Directors.  “Jessica has a Master’s Degree in History from UNCG with a concentration in Museum Studies and comes highly recommended.  She has an extraordinary passion and zeal for history and will be a tremendous asset to our great museum.  We were fortunate to have some great talent to choose from in the recruiting process and Jessica was a standout.”

Jessica further explained, “I am very excited about putting my experience and education into practice with the Kernersville Museum to create an experiential space where people of the community can see their own history on display as well as share it with others.  I am looking forward to working with the Kernersville Museum as well as the Kernersville community to create an engaging and memorable experience centered on the unique and rich history of the Town.”

One of the toughest decisions faced by all history museums is what items do they need to help tell their story.  Given Kernersville’s vast and distinct history that can certainly be a challenge.

One of the common questions people have concerning the Kernersville Museum is regarding personal artifacts, photos, or documents they possess and wonder if it might be of interest to the Museum.  The Kernersville Museum Foundation encourages people to ask and find out.

The Museum Collections Committee has an object history form (found on the Museum website) where individuals can share information about any object they feel is appropriate and the Committee will let you know if it is something they are interested in either adding to the Museum’s collection or to borrow for a future exhibit.  If you are not sure how to preserve your treasured item, the Committee can give you suggestions on that too.

For old photographs, film negatives, and documents about the Town, the Museum has a free scanner service where you can have your items digitized, so you can keep the original while the Museum adds the item to their inventory as well.

As a community focused venue, volunteers are always needed to become involved with the various committees and projects.  In addition, help is needed to staff the Museum and Depot when they are open to the public as well as help guide patrons through exhibits.

With the ability to have a quality Museum that is open to the public, initial and ongoing funding is a key concern. Without contributions from individuals, local businesses, and associations, who are driven by the conviction that citizens’ quality of life would be enhanced by having access to important objects and resources concerning our past, the Museum would not be able to fulfill its mission.  Everyone is welcome to stop by and learn more about how they can play an important role and become connected in creating a meaningful venue.

If anyone ever has any doubt about the viability of the Kernersville Museum going forward, you only need to talk with longtime resident, community leader, and biggest advocate Board of Directors member, Ivey Redmon (yes, there is a Town park named after him).  “We need more space!”  94-year-old Ivey commented, “We need to have the entire Train Depot with climate control and I would like to see an additional structure on the Museum site to store artifacts and have more exhibit space.  I plan to work towards making that happen.”  It is this type of Kernersville Puritan work ethic that has transcended throughout past generations that the Museum hopes to showcase today and in the future.

To learn more about the Kernersville Museum, visit www.KernersvilleMuseum.com or call the office at 336-497-4869.