The Museum of Old Domestic Life is one of the hidden treasures of High Point. It’s filled with everyday items from Quaker families who lived in Guilford and Randolph Counties in the 1800s. You’ll find hundreds of things from everyday rural life – clothing, tools, furniture, cooking utensils, book and more!
You may recognize some items – most people know a butter churn or a carpenter’s plane. You might notice the full-size loom in one corner, or a set of candle molds. You’ll see a full-sized sleigh, Native American arrow heads, portraits and children’s toys.
But do you know what a hackle is? What do you do with a riddle, or a quern? There are yokes, bellows, mills, kraut choppers, and many more items to puzzle over.
One of the things which makes the Museum special is that it’s a “hands on” place – you can touch and handle most of the items on display.
One very special item at the Museum is a large stone which we came from a nearby Quaker farm. The stone has an arrow scratched on the surface, and we believe it was a marker pointing to the next “safe house” on the Underground Railroad!
The Museum is housed in a Quaker meetinghouse built in 1858 from bricks hand-made and baked on the site. Back in the 1800’s, families arrived on horseback, and you can still see the old stone “upping blocks” where they dismounted at the door.
Outside is the Springfield Friends Cemetery, one of the oldest in the area – the first recorded burial was in 1780! The cemetery is a rich resource for people doing genealogy and tracing their family roots. We also have a growing collection of manuscripts, letters, obituaries and documents for researchers.
The Museum of Old Domestic Life is open by appointment only. Please call before you come! Groups are welcome, but because of the size of the Museum, we can only handle 10-15 visitors at a time.
Because the Museum was built in the 1800’s, the building is not handicapped accessible – visitors need to be able to climb 3 steps on their way in.
Please contact the curator, Brenda Haworth, 1-336-906-7674 or e-mail her at [email protected] can also call the office at Springfield Friends Meeting, 336-889-4911.
Come and see us soon!
The Museum of Old Domestic Life
555 E. Springfield Road
High Point, NC 27263
336-889-4911