Jacob Kinsey Memorial Museum
Ligonier Valley Historical Society Announce an Affiliation
Jacob Kintzy (Kinsey) Memorial Museum has become an affiliate of Ligonier Valley Historical Society. Located at the intersection of Nature Run Road and Route 271 in Waterford, Kinsey Museum began operation as a nonprofit organization in August of 1971. Over the years, descendants of Jacob and Elizabeth Kemp Kinsey gave tours of the four buildings that are furnished as a pioneer homestead of the 1800-1840 period with family pieces dating back to 1795. Jacob and Elizabeth emigrated from Germany, settling in Bedford County in 1795, eventually moving to the Ligonier Valley in the early 1800’s. Over the years, in addition to giving tours, the family offered weekend programs on bread baking in the beehive oven and apple butter making. However, as the generation who kept the Museum operating for so many years became older, they were not able to continue the tours and programs leaving the Museum idle for several years.
In 2017, Roger West, a Kinsey descendant and longtime member of the Kinsey Family Museum board of directors, visited with Theresa Gay Rohall, executive director of Ligonier Valley Historical Society, seeking advice on revitalizing the Kinsey Museum. The Historical Society and the Kinsey Museum boards of directors have been working since then to determine the best course of action that would once again bring to life the Kinsey Museum. Creating an affiliation between the two entities was decided upon, ensuring Kinsey Museum will become a dynamic heritage venue, adding to the story of the settlement and development of the beautiful Ligonier Valley.
On Monday evening, August 26, 2019, at 5:30 pm, a brief program and the official signing of the Affiliation Agreement was held at the Kinsey Museum. Members of both boards of directors and the Historical Society staff were present for the signing.
“This partnership is the culmination of an affiliation agreement we’ve been working on for over a year, so we’re very excited. We will be taking over their back-office operations, digitizing their collection records, and helping them offer their longstanding tradition of bread baking and apple butter making programs,” said Rohall.
The Kinsey Museum will continue to function as its own 501-c3 organization under the leadership of its current boards of directors with the guidance of the Historical Society. Putting the back-office operations of Kinsey Museum and the Historical Society’s Compass Inn Museum under one umbrella was a natural fit, according to Mr. West. Over the next several months, the tour and program schedule will be determined. However, in the meantime, please call the Historical Society at 724-238-6818 to make an appointment for a tour.
