Sprucing up a piece of history
Preserving Cumberland County Museum important to Davis and Allan
AMHERST — Dale Davis and Denise Allan are like two peas in a pod.
The Amherst women can often be seen at the Cumberland County Museum, working around the grounds of the historic property or helping inside - playing a role in preserving what’s an integral part of Amherst and Cumberland County history.
“Protecting and preserving our history is so important because it’s where we came from and it’s who we are now,” Davis said. “There’s so much history here. People today, not just the kids, don’t know the history of the community.”
Davis, who has had a strong love of local history for many years, was invited to participate in the museum several years ago by her sister-in-law Sylvia Fairbanks.
“She just said come. Here I was sitting at a luncheon with a group of people, thanking the garden committee,” she said. “She introduced me as her sister-in-law who was now a member of the garden committee. I guess I was volunteered.”
She would later begin attending meetings as a member and supporter until she was invited to join the board of directors four years ago.
“I love this building. I love history and I love architecture and I want it all to continue,” Davis said. “That’s why I’m here. It’s great to be able to collaborate with people who are like-minded. We’ve seen success and we’ve seen volunteers, who were here before, come back and get re-engaged. We’ve also seen complete strangers come every day and work. It’s amazing.”
Davis said getting the community more involved in the museum has been one of the board’s biggest objectives. Over the last year, the board has reached out to the community looking for volunteers of all ages and holding more community events at the historic building.
Allan said it was through Davis that she joined the museum. Both are members of the Amherst and Area Heritage Trust Society, created several years ago to raise awareness toward and to protect and preserve Amherst’s built heritage - which had been disappearing with the loss of several downtown buildings like the former BMO building, the Bird building and the old legion property.
The organization has also been working with the Amherst Armouries Plus Society to try to protect the Col. James Layton Ralston Armoury.
“Every time I’d see Dale she would ask me to come to the museum to help out in the garden,” Allan said. “I’ve never left.”
The two women have worked countless hours to revitalize the museum grounds. This year, when it appeared as though COVID was going to cancel everything, including the grad prom photos, students and parents went to the museum to help prepare the grounds, including painting the gazebo.
For Allan, working at the museum is akin to going home.
“I see something different inside every day,” Allan said. “Sometimes I’ll just wander around inside and I’m always finding something new. I spend so much time here it’s like home. It’s a happy place to be.”
Both Davis and Allan are impressed with recent changes to the museum, including the painting of the outside.
They are huge fans of Rebecca Taylor, who earlier this year became the museum’s curator, and said Sheila Graham and Ralph Belliveau spend countless hours helping out both inside and outside.
“This place has never looked so good,” Allan said. “Everyone is doing their part and it’s making such a difference.”
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