Distinct history

Old Davie School offers Taste & Tour

The Old Davie School Historical Museum wants to remind residents it’s more than a venue for weddings and quinces. It is, above all else, a museum.

This is why staff has created fun programming for visitors to enjoy each Saturday of the month. April featured a Taste & Tour through the Generations where folks had the opportunity to sample different recipes from the Davie Historical Society’s cookbooks.

The food selection included a salad, a meat and dessert. The past events have featured broccoli salad, meatballs, cornbread, cowboy cookies, magic bars and freshly squeezed orange juice.

Kris Stansell, who has been working in a marketing capacity for the museum, feels the new push has helped drive in traffic.

“We are a museum first and foremost,” she said. “So we want to motivate people to come here. Once they do and take at our, even if they don’t live in Davie, there is so much information and education.”

Talia Ponting has been down here since 1993. She finally decided to pi que her curiosity with husband Lance during a recent visit to the museum.

“I started to find out about the history and so we wanted to check this place out,” Ponting said. “It’s amazing. Thefood is awesome, and I’m awestruck by everything I’m seeing.”

“We’re fascinated with the history of Davie with what’s still here

or not,” Lance added. “There are so many things about Davie and its surroundings most people don’t know. It’s great to be able to investigate it further.”

The museum has developed programming for its Saturdays throughthesummer. ThemonthofMay will see a Children’s Art Exhibit with activities in the spirit of native species, pioneers and other themes.

In June, it’s Summer Sundaes on Saturdays, whichispretty selfexplanatory.

Old Davie School is celebrating Barbie in July with a look at the doll brand’s evolution through the years. This expands on the facility’s popular Tea with Barbie concept, which happens this year on July 30.

Kim Stansell Weismantle, education director, loves witnessing the amazement as people, particularly youngsters, venture through the property. She hopes the Saturday concepts encourage past visitors and those who have never been to experience what Old Davie School has to offer.

“You learn about the

town around you, but there is more to it than just Davie,” Stansell Weismantle said. “You find out about your surroundings and find out why the canals are there, locks along the canal, background story, why there are the horse trails that we have. You look at the town a different way. We have our own unique distinct history.”

The Old Davie School’s back story dates back to the early 1900s and is on the list of U.S. Register of Historic Places.

Scott Fishman can be reached at smfishman@tribpub.com.