Georgia’s Old Capital Heritage Center at the Depot Inc. (GOCHC) will host the grand opening from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 17 to its Native American and Frontier Georgia Cottage Exhibits.
From 2001-17, Georgia’s Old Capital Museum served over 90,000 visitors with exhibits and tours recounting regional history from 10,000 BC to the early 20th century. In 2017, the museum moved its offices to the “Just Imagine Cottage” at 95 Depot Circle Drive on the campus of the Central State Hospital. A restoration project began to turn the Central State Hospital Supply Depot into the new museum.
“As part of the development to reopen the museum, we will open the Native American and Frontier Georgia exhibits to the public again. These were two large exhibits in Georgia’s Old Capital Museum,” said GOCHC Board of Trustees member Karen McGinnis, who is also a member of the Program and Fundraising Committee. “We are referring to these exhibits as cottage exhibits because they will be smaller and featured in the Just Imagine Cottage.”
The Native American exhibit will focus on the history of Native Americans in this area. It will be in the first room to the left as a visitor walks into the cottage. It starts with an introduction with artifacts that will lead attendees from the Ice Age to European Exploration period. The exhibit is divided into numerous sections for a self-guided tour that teaches about the Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian time periods and cultures, leading to New World exploration.
“Artifacts are on display that show the tools for hunting, gathering, jewelry making, and games. In the New World section, it explores the impact that exploration had on Native Americans in our area,” said McGinnis. “A former Georgia State University student intern in the spring of 2024, Haley Kassum, helped Executive Director Dr. Amy Wright design the layout of the exhibit, select artifacts, and set-up the displays. Haley will be there on the opening day to welcome attendees.”
The second exhibit moves from the Native American cultures to the expansion of the Georgia settlements. It begins with the founding of Georgia in Savannah and follows the Georgians who moved west along the Oconee River Basin in the late 1700s after the Revolutionary War. In the fall of 2024, Georgia College & State University intern Chloe Melton assisted with the creation of the exhibit and will also be at the exhibit’s debut.
“This expansion encompassed Baldwin County and Milledgeville,” said McGinnis. “So, the exhibit includes history of the settlement of the Oconee River Basin, some replicas and original land grants, a Fort Wilkinson trading post facade replica and artifact displays. It also features a typical Front Georgia Hearth display before moving into the early 1800s, where Milledgeville was named the Georgia State Capital and our local city began to boom.”
The exhibits coordinate with the Georgia Standards of Excellence for multiple grade levels in both elementary and middle school. It also parallels some high school history objectives, making the exhibits a beneficial resource to local schools in the area.
“Students, or anyone, can get a guided tour by appointment or come for a self-guided tour during normal operating hours,” said McGinnis.
Normal operating hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, but GOCHC requests that attendees call 478-4531803 before visiting to ensure someone is on site. As the center has other educational sites they also offer tours there, she explained.
“These exhibits will remain open until the Depot renovation is complete and then they will move to the Depot and be expanded,” said McGinnis.
On May 17, a fundraiser event supporting the center and the depot renovation will be hosted as well. It will feature a Heritage Hustle 5K/1K Fun Run, which anyone may register online at HeritageHustle5K. com, or walk-up registrations are accepted by 8 a.m. In addition, May 16 and 17, there will be an indoor sale with over 6,000 square feet of gently used, recently stocked furniture, home decor, kitchenware, and more. Please refer to The Baldwin Bulletin’s community calendar for further details on each event.