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Museums

810 Main Street Museum

What is now the Wayne County Historical Society's main museum building, built in 1860, was originally the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company office in Honesdale, PA. The canal's 108 miles to Rondout (near Kingston) NY began at its back door, as did the canal company's gravity railroad from Carbondale PA. It is for this reason that in 1968 the U. S. Department of the Interior designated it a National Historic Landmark.

On August 23, 1923 the Wayne County Historical Society was granted a lease from the D & H to use the north portion of the building for storage. In 1939 it was opened to the public for the first time and has been in continuous operation since.

Two additions have been made to the original 1860 building: one in 1979 and one in 1993 to accommodate our expansion needs.

The small brick building immediately to the north was saved from demolition by the Society and moved to its present site in 1981. Built in 1830 ,the Torrey building is one of the oldest brick buildings in the county. It was originally used as a land office of Jason Torrey, the county's first surveyor. By connecting it to the D & H building in 1997 in provided additional exhibit, storage, and office space.

Exhibits
Movin' Energy The History of the Delaware and Hudson Canal 1828-1898 exhibit is housed in the most recently completed addition. The *Stourbridge Lion* replica is the centerpiece of this award-winning exhibit.	Faces in Clay The Faces in Clay exhibit opened in 1995. With the late County Historian Vernon Leslie's 4,600-plus archaeology collection as its basis, this exhibit interprets the Native American history of the upper Delaware Valley.
Mapping Honesdale Mapping Honesdale is an exhibit showcasing historic and modern day maps of Honesdale	Wayne County’s Glass: Window Panes to White House Crystal The society’s entire glass collection is again on exhibit after five years in storage and pieces on loan to the Dorflinger Museum. Wayne County’s Glass: Window Panes to White House Crystal includes one hundred and fifty-six pieces of glass all produced in Wayne County from the 1820’s to 1980’s.

J.B. Parks Farm Museum

A Day in the Life of a Farm, Wayne County Agriculture: 1870-1930 is the title of this 1,500 sq. ft. exhibit located on the Wayne County Fair Grounds on Rt. 191, one mile north of Honesdale. During the annual Wayne County Fair the building is open from noon to 8 p.m. and by appointment.

Bethel School

This one-room country school near Beach Lake will be open to the public in the summer and fall. Check the calendar of events for opening times and dates.

The Berlin Township schoolhouse was built before 1872 and was closed in 1951. In 1998 the County Of Wayne had the stone foundation rebuilt, put on a new roof and porch, and painted the exterior in the original colors. The Wayne County Historical Society organizes the public events at the school.

Visualize what a day at school was like with eight grades taught by one teacher, without electricity, running water, and indoor plumbing.

See map page for directions.

Developed by Paul Talaga