April 2021
Newsletter

Private Access Program
Beginning Thursday, April 15th 2021 the museum will be available to you and your guests.

Enjoy your own private access to explore the fascinating history of Southeast Volusia County Florida. Dive deep into Florida's British Colonial past in the award-winning New Smyrna Settlement Exhibit and explore the timeline of local history with captivating objects and photography spanning from pre-historic times through modern day. Your chance to explore local area surf culture is waiting in the East Coast Surfing exhibit and the Museum giftshop is stocked with a variety of literature, apparel and gift items related to the local area.

This program is Free to Museum Members and available to non-members for a $50 donation. Non-members please purchase a single ticket at $50 rate, this ticket will be good for up to six visitors. The purchasing individual will receive a 1 year family membership as part of their entry donation.

The New Smyrna Museum of History is staffed by volunteer members of our community. Facemasks must be worn by all entering the museum regardless of medical condition or vaccine status for the duration of the time they are in the New Smyrna Museum of History.

Schedule your reservation now by Clicking Here.

You can also email us at NSMofHistory@gmail.com or call the Museum at 386.478.0052 so a museum representative can contact you about this exciting program.
President's Pen

By Gary Swanson
President
Southeast Volusia Historical Society



As the weather warms up, and spring is upon us, we have an exciting new program to announce. Planning is well underway for the New Smyrna Museum of History Historic Preservation Awards Program. The purpose of this award is to recognize, showcase, encourage, and promote local efforts to preserve historic structures in New Smyrna Beach, and ultimately, all of Southeast Volusia County.
 
This will be done through the establishment of five categories of awards that will reward achievements in preservation (three awards), restoration, and leadership. The committee that will make this happen consists of seven individuals of varying and relevant backgrounds, co-chaired by preservation leaders Angelina Barretta Herman and Deb Exum. Besides lending its name to the awards, the museum will act in an advisory capacity, with museum director Greg Holbrook acting as a liaison to the board. The museum will also provide space for the annual awards to be displayed and will host the initial awards presentation at the museum in January 2022.
 
In other news, we are excited about the delivery and recent installation of six new windows on the north side of the museum building, as part of our ongoing ECHO elevator and renovation project. A special thanks to Gulfstream Glass for their work on this phase of the project.  Our second floor meeting room now has new insulation and ceiling tiles, and has been cleaned top to bottom. Many thanks to Art Seibel and Paul Ladd for doing such a great job!
 
Please continue to follow safety protocols, and I look forward to seeing our volunteers again soon!
 
Gary
New Smyrna Museum of History
Preservation Awards
Veterans History Project

In last month's newsletter we shared how excited we were to begin working with the US Library of Congress' Veteran's History Project. This project is now up and running with the support of some great local talent. Dr. Frank Farmer, former history professor and U.S military veteran is working as our interviewer on this project. He is joined by museum members Ron Bayles, Brion Reilly and Kelly Faulkenham to help coordinate and capture these important narratives.

March 2nd we were able to have our first official taping event and captured our first veteran interview with Lt. Colonel Phil Love.

Click the photo below to view the interview.
Do you know a local area veteran that would be a good candidate for this project?

Here is what we and the Library of Congress are looking for.

Conflict era veterans of WW2 or later who have a direct connection to Southeast Volusia County in some manner. Many of these individuals will have been born and raised in Southeast Volusia County, others, such as Lt. Col Phil Love, have a strong family connection to SE Volusia and continue to live here for a portion of each year.

If you know of a good candidate please contact us at the museum and share their name and contact info so someone from our team can reach out to them.
Now Available At The Museum Store Online

Stationery Items
Capture beautiful images of British East Florida to share with your family and friends on these elegant gift cards available in "Views of New Smyrnea" a set of 8 cards with envelopes.

Also Available

"Minorcan Dress" and "Settlers to New Smyrnea"
gift card sets each with 6 cards featuring the traditional dress of those who joined the Turnbull Settlement of British East Florida in 1768.
Each of these beautiful note card sets comes packaged in an elegant mesh bag with ribbon tie enclosure. View the full images in each set of cards at our online gift shop.

Community Support

Although we may have our doors closed for general access to the museum's exhibits, the Southeast Volusia Historical Society continues to provide community support and strives to be your local resource for everything history here in Southeast Volusia County.

Along with our Facebook Page and ecommerce access to our gift shop, the New Smyrna Museum of History has staff and volunteers available each week to continue to support our local community. Each week we have people reach out with items to donate, questions about local historic sites and with requests for support from archaeology staff about sites and objects from the local area. Don't hesitate to reach out to us here at the New Smyrna Museum of History so we can assist with your donation, question, or research.
Museum
Community
News
Your Membership and Support Matters!

To become a member, Click Here


In Memoriam:
Lois McFadden
Turning the Tide
on Hunger

An art auction with all proceeds benefiting Halifax Urban Ministries In Memory of Elizabeth "Sissie" Barr



Sunday, May 2, 2021
1:00 viewing of art 1:30 auction begins

Artists’ Workshop
540 Barracuda Boulevard, New Smyrna Beach FL 32169
 
Elizabeth “Sissie” Barr passed away on December 29, 2020. She was 94. Sissie was a modern Impressionist, spending many of her most prolific years in her beloved New Smyrna Beach. Her passion was art, but her philanthropy involved a concern for the hungry. It was Sissie’s wish for her art to be a vessel for procuring funds to feed the hungry and that no one should go to bed hungry.
 
The auction will include a limited number of Sissies’ paintings, and works of other prominent artists:
 
Shy Morris - Richard Collison – Linda Hoffmeister – Sandra Lloyd – Nancy Neel – Teresa Bowen
Scott Hiestand – Barbara Ortiz – Trish Beckham – Betty Parker – Mary Gerlach – Patrick Rausch – Cathy Berse


 At programs’ end, we welcome you to stay and remember Sissie.
 We hope you will join us, as we turn the tide on hunger.

The New Smyrna Museum of History
120 Sams Ave., New Smyrna Beach Fl. 32168
Phone: 386.478.0052
nsmofhistory@gmail.com
PO Box 968, NSB, Fl. 32168