CUMBERLAND — The Wills Creek Museum will celebrate the grand opening of its first phase April 26 to 28.
Formerly known as Hoye House at 28 Washington St., the new museum’s first-floor Avirett Gallery will feature an exhibit on the French and Indian War and Fort Cumberland, tour center, and gift shop.
The Aviretts are main donors for the museum’s ground floor and “particularly interesting historic family of Cumberland,” said Martha Macgill, volunteer director of the museum.
An opening reception with the Avirett family will be held 5 to 7 p.m. April 26 on the patio at 28 Washington St., or in Emmanuel Parish House in case of inclement weather.
Cost for that event is $30 and includes a sneak peek of the museum and one ticket to the Cumberland Choral Society’s spring concert, Requiem for the Living at 7:30 p.m. across the street at First Presbyterian Church.
Tickets may be purchased at Eventbrite or by email to soulspacecumberland@gmail.com.
Free activities on April 27 will include Family Day at Wills Creek Museum from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with tours of the museum, Emmanuel Parish of the Episcopal Church and its tunnels, dedication of benches and children’s crafts.
Area museums and organizations, including the Allegany County Historical Society, will participate and focus on history for families.
Walking tours of Washington Street and opportunities for families to record their history will be provided.
The Brownsville Project and the Allegany County Lynching Truth & Reconciliation Committee will co-sponsor the dedication of benches to Robert Hughes, also known as William Burns, and Jesse Page, according to a press release for the event.
Hughes was an 18-year-old boy lynched by a white mob in Cumberland in 1907, the release stated.
“Page was imprisoned with Robert Hughes and released before the lynch mob tore young Hughes from his prison cell,” it stated.
A full account of the lynching is available at thebrownsvilleproject.com/about-william-burns.
The dedication will take place from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Memorial Garden behind the museum.
April 28 will feature a noon ribbon-cutting ceremony with city officials, tours from 12:30 to 4 p.m., followed by a Choral Society concert.
“It should be a grand weekend of celebrating Cumberland’s history, families and tourism,” Macgill said and added the Community Cafe, set to open to the public this summer, will provide items from its tasting menu at the event.
Upcoming projects for the building’s second floor include exhibits on the Underground Railroad, Tiffany glass and Emmanuel/Faith Communities of Cumberland, Macgill said.
The third floor will house a children’s museum and genealogical research area.
“Wills Creek Museum truly wants to be a collaborative resource for the community around history and wants to provide information on all the history and attractions Cumberland has to offer,” Macgill said.
“We also want to be a place that tells the stories of Cumberland through individuals and families,” she said.
“For example, in the Avirett Gallery, we tell the stories of Charlotte Brown, the only known woman officer in the French and Indian War as well as the Shawnees in the area,” Macgill said.