Eden museum gears up for grand opening

State Senator Phil Berger, who represents Guilford and Rockingham counties, presented Jean Harrington and the Eden Historical Museum with a North Carolina state flag Friday. This flag was flown over the state capital building Apr. 8 and given to the museum to celebrate its official opening on Sept. 19.

“We want to let the people of Eden know to be ready by next Saturday, because this is a big deal,” said Harrington, the president of the Eden Historical Society Museum Advisory Board. “We have been trying to get a museum here for decades.”

Harrington and her colleagues coordinated raising the money for the museum and organizing all the exhibits and collections. She said they accomplished all of this without using public funds, but through various fund-raisers and donors.

“We are quite proud that we did this ourselves, especially during a time of recession,” Harrington said. “We had excellent contributions from local companies and citizens.”

Harrington said the museum will tell the history of Eden from its “prehistory” all the way to the consolidation in 1967. It will also accept donated pieces and collections.

Sen. Berger said next weekend, when Eden holds its annual RiverFest celebration, will be an ideal time to have an official opening for the museum and for citizens to experience the exhibits.

“This historical museum will provide the people of Eden with a perspective on their roots in the community and will serve to educate and entertain young people,” Berger said. “This is the type of thing small communities are known for – having a rich sense of history and having a volunteer spirit.”