Exhibits & Collections
Our main goal at the McDuffie Museum is to display the county’s history in a comprehensive and unbiased way.
The McDuffie County Exhibit is divided into several areas or sections containing written information and displayed artifacts. The 2006 Durel Consulting Partners Master Plan formed the basis for this arrangement.
History books written about McDuffie County many years ago provided a basic framework for our research. Unfortunately, none of the books cited resources, so information found in them needed confirmation. Those sources were found at the library, the McDuffie County courthouse, Georgia Archives, and surrounding area historical societies.
All museum collection pieces have been loaned or donated by gracious individuals who understand the importance of historic preservation in the community. Our local history collection is unique and contains McDuffie County items only. These items include, but are not limited to, Dr. Cicero Gibson’s Penny Farthing bicycle, J.L. Adams’ motion picture camera (from the early 1920s), foundation rocks from Joseph Mattock’s mill in Wrightsboro, and Jake McCord’s front porch (saved from demolition in April 2009). We at McDuffie Museum delight in caring for all of our collection pieces. If you have anything that may have significance to the county’s history, please contact us, and your item may become part of history!
Here’s some of the history you’ll find at McDuffie Museum:
LAND: This section focuses on McDuffie County’s natural resources and its first inhabitants. Learn about the many Native American tribes that once called this area their home. This section also gives the stories of two famous Naturalists that visited the area, William Bartram and John Muir.
COMMUNITIES: Histories of towns and communities in McDuffie County. Find out how Thomson got its name, and what Dearing was like before it became the peaceful place it is now. Did you know that McDuffie County once had a major resort? Or that the community that was once Columbia County’s seat is now in McDuffie County? These questions are answered in our Communities section!
WRIGHTSBORO: Discover Georgia’s lost colony of Wrightsboro. Originally a Quaker colony settled around 1768-69, Wrightsboro has an interesting past that’s captivating and mysterious. This section contains a lot of reading material, but few artifacts, because the Quakers left very little behind when they moved from Georgia in the early 1800s.
PEOPLE: Some McDuffie County citizens played major roles in the nation’s history. In this section visitors can learn about the lives of these individuals, and the legacies they left behind.
McDuffie Museum also hosts special collections and traveling exhibits! Every quarter Gallery III is changed to give visitors an educational experience that spreads beyond McDuffie County’s boundaries. Click here to view our previous and up-coming special collections and traveling exhibits page!