Surratt House Museum 40th Birthday

[Thomas Kearney]

While I'm not the Surratt House PR Guy, I want to let forum member know that this May 1st will mark 40 years since the Surratt House opened for tours. There will be free house and research center tours, refreshments, and gift shop sales. I apologize for any errors and I hope to see you there. More info at this link:

http://issuu.com/pgparks/docs/surratt_fl...0/32996629

[Eva Elisabeth]

Congrats and kudos to the Surratt House's efforts and achievements!

[L Verge]

Thanks for the plug, Thomas. Since I was part of the first group of volunteers to train as guides beginning in September of 1975, I was reminiscing the other day. What memories!

I have often told people that our first group was composed of about twenty bored housewives, but what a job we and ensuing others have done (with no training in how to run a museum). A now-deceased male member once referred to us as a bunch of Girl Scouts. One of our "Girl Scouts" drew herself up to full 75-year-old stature and replied, "And we Girl Scouts have sure sold a lot of cookies to get where we are!" The retired lieutenant colonel shut up after that...

The best part of it all - and the most humbling - is the wealth of learned people that I have met as first a volunteer and, for the past 33 years, as director of the museum. I never thought back in the 1960s that I would turn my avocation into my vocation.

Someday, I should write a book, but it won't be on Mary Surratt, Wilkes Booth, or the Lincoln assassination. It will be on dealing with people along the roads that you take in life. Expect at least two volumes.

[Gene C]

Nice introduction Thomas.
Wish I lived closer, Surratt House looks like they have some interesting speakers and programs for the coming year.

[BettyO]

Surratt Society (as well as Surratt House) has been a major part of my life since 1978 - when I first joined up as a volunteer/docent and worked there for about 20 years. What WONDERFUL times we had! And what wonderful memories and life-long friends....

Congratulations, Surratt House! I'll be popping by on May 1st!

[RJNorton]

I wish all the best to Surratt House and the Surratt Society. Here is a scan from the last page of a Surratt Society booklet published in 2011 ("35 years of Preserving The Past, Present, & Future"):

[L Verge]

Wow, I had forgotten that! With the social media aspect of civilization now a big thing, I think we're already up there in the sky. Our government agency has finally approved Facebook coverage for its various sites, and we will be following their format, but we will announce our "birth" into the cyber age soon.