Heritage Fibers Dedicates Building

The new Heritage Fibers building was an immediate hit at the Spring Exhibition. Even before the dedication, visitors came to see the new facilities. Mabel Baker and Andrea Castle welcomed their guests along with other members of the Heritage Fibers group who were busy demonstrating their skills. Danny Dunkelberg and his two sons have built and are installing a new sign.  

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Heritage Fibers Group Gets New Home in Madrid

As it grew the need to have its own facilities became clear. The dream has now been realized with the construction of a building designed for the group. Their new home will be dedicated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 9 during the Museum’s Spring Exhibition. Exhibition visitors are invited to attend. The 1,280 square foot building is paneled in pine with floors from local ash. The porch roof is clad with cedar shingles milled at the Museum. Other features include ample windows for natural lighting and a cedar closet to help protect valued textiles. The building was made possible by a grant from The Sweetgrass Foundation which helped kick off fund raising. Funding was further supported by members of the group, friends, and members of the Museum. The Heritage Textiles group also received gifts of building materials, furnishings, and antique textile machines and actual early fiber products and handicrafts. Early machines and equipment now in place include walking (great) spinning wheels, a large barn loom, table loom, flax wheels, quilt frames, dress frame and various smaller items related to sewing. During the Museum’s Spring Exhibition, Heritage Textile members will be demonstrating rug hooking, spinning, weaving, tatting, quilting and rug braiding. The members will be teaching most of the above skills in classes to be announced in the near future. If interested in supporting Heritage Textiles or participating in its classes, please contact Andrea Castle by email at andreacastle22@gmail.com or phone 315-322-5663 or email Mabel Baker at mbaker9@twcny.rr.com. Sign up for a Museum membership and join its hundreds of members in preserving the North Country’s past and how its people benefited from new technologies. Individual memberships are $25, couples $30. Junior memberships are $5 for those under 18. It’s all about great folks having lots of fun helping the community in a big way. The St. Lawrence Power & Equipment Museum is located in the Town of Madrid. It is a 501(c)(3) education corporation, provisionally chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. Information about the Museum is available at slpowermuseum.com. Contact the Museum at slpeminfo@gmail.com or PO Box 400, Madrid, NY 13660. The Museum is open on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month during the summer from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Group visits are always welcome. Call 315-322-8956 to schedule a time.