The Amos Seaman School Museum in Minudie has now officially been a museum for 50 years, inspiring an anniversary celebration that took place on July 23.
Originally built in the early 1840s, the one-room schoolhouse is still standing strong 175 years after its original construction. The anniversary event gathered numerous people to its celebration, with many of those people being heavily associated with the school museum or its history.
Many years ago, the schoolhouse was in a dilapidated and precarious state. The municipality planned for it to be demolished after the floor and ceiling of the schoolhouse began to cave in. However, with the help of plenty of generous volunteers, the structure’s restoration project officially began, and to great success.
Shirley Rae and Myrna Matheson cut the cake celebrating the Amos Seaman School Museum’s 50th anniversary. A celebration was held July 23 in Minudie. Contributed
As a consequence of years of hard work and overcoming challenges, the schoolhouse was legally recognized as the Amos Seaman School Museum in 1973 and has continued to operate as a museum for 50 years.
The celebration hosted approximately 26 people over the course of the afternoon and treated them to cake, tea, and punch. During the event, Jackie Gould, a member of the Minudie Tourist Association as a volunteer, used the authentic handheld teacher’s bell to call everyone’s attention to the front of the school room.
All guests were politely welcomed, and the other members of the Minudie Tourist Association were named— Naomi Kirkbride, Joy Gray, Heather Cawthra, and Sharon Gould—all of whom—excluding Naomi, who was on an important trip to see family— were also in attendance to the celebration.
A speech was given to all attendees, including Shirley (Burbine) Rae, who was one of the teachers that originally taught in the one room schoolhouse. Pauline (Comeau) Brown, another teacher that is still living, was not able to attend.
Cake and flowers were delivered to her following the event.
Myrna Matheson, a member of the original group dedicated to preserving the one room schoolhouse, attended the 50th year anniversary celebration. She spoke to the attendees about the beginning of the restoration process for the schoolhouse. Her involvement in that meeting led her to submit an application to the board of governors of the Nova Scotia Museum to accredit the schoolhouse as a museum. The application was accepted, and the Amos Seaman School Museum was accredited in 1975.
Cumberland South MLA and Natural Resources and Renewables Minister Tory Rushton was invited to speak, giving gratitude and recognition to all who were present at the celebration and who have played a part in the school’s history.
He awarded the school museum a congratulatory certificate in recognition of its 50th year anniversary. Mayor Murray Scott of the Municipality of Cumberland spoke, praising the community’s strength and resilience to preserve Minudie’s buildings and their histories.
Dale Porter, District 7 councillor for the Municipality of Cumberland, also spoke. Both representatives of the municipality presented together a Certificate of Congratulations to the museum for its anniversary. The anniversary cake was cut by honorees Shirley Rae and Myrna Matheson.
The party was full of laughter and stories throughout the event as both locals and tourists enjoyed an afternoon of lively celebration at the museum.