Historic Effingham Society is continuing to host Olde Effingham Day this year on April 11. The festival will be held at Effingham Museum and Living History Site at the corner of Early and Pine streets in Springfield from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Plenty of parking is available at the courthouse nearby.
Come spend the day touring the 12 buildings dating from 1790-1950 and see live demonstrations. There will be vendors, activities for children and the Springfield and Rincon garden clubs will host at flower show from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. in the Herman and Ruth Gnann House.
Live entertainment is still being booked. The Pace Brothers, Ashley Poole, the Minick Sisters, Ryan Fuller and Tommy Hall and his band are on the schedule. Enjoy the music and singers.
Live demonstrators will be in the blacksmith shop, carpenter shop, moonshine house and in our barns, houses and depot.
Historic Effingham will have a bake sale and will have barbecue sandwiches, hot dogs and our famous hash and rice along with cold drinks available for sale.
This is our first festival with the new moonshine house offering a permanent home for our liquor still. You will also see construction underway of a replica of the Bethel School. When complete it will be a one-room school building. In some communities in the past, the community school served as a public meeting place or place of worship.
There is no fee for admission. We need volunteers to man the festival. If you can volunteer or donate baked goods for the sale, please call 754-2170 to sign up.
With construction of our two new buildings we have been fortunate to have received some much-welcomed donations. Historic Effingham Society relies solely on dues and donations. We do now have a great need. With the large tours of 100 students at a time, we must plan and build public restrooms. The HES is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization and can provide a receipt for your cash or stock donations. Please consider a donation in any amount to help us keep the museum manned during office hours and keep our history alive.
We hope to see you on April 11. Come enjoy the entertainment and food. Spend a few hours or stay all day. Bring the children and let them see what life was like back the “olde days.”
This was compiled by Susan Exley of Historic Effingham Society. If you have photos, comments or information to share, contact Exley at 754-6681 or hesheraldexley@aol.com.
