The Johnstown Area Heritage Association (Jaha) celebrates the opening of the Wagner-Ritter House and Garden Museum on Wednesday.
"The house jaha obtained in 1990, when Robert and Eugene Ritter donated the house to the association after the death of their uncle, Louis Ritter," says marketing manager Shelley Johansson Jaha.
A two-story house located at 418 Broad St. in Johnstown filled with memorabilia from the Wagner-Ritter family.
"Everything is authentic and original to the house," said Johansson.
"The purpose of this site is to provide a concrete understanding of how people lived in Johnstown 140 years ago," added Executive Director Richard Burkert Jaha. "This museum is a story of everyday men and women."
Johansson emphasizes the uniqueness of the Wagner-Ritter home.
"This is a museum houses extraordinary," he said. "Most of the time when you attend a house museum that is due to architectural design, or because someone famous lived there. It is not. The house is nice because it reminds visitors of their grandmother's house."
George and Francis Wagner is a German immigrant who emigrated from Germany in the 1850s and built a house in 1860, Burkert said.
The Wagners very religious and is one of the founding members of St. Mary's Immaculate Conception church in Johnstown, said Johansson.
The Wagners had 13 children but only seven reached adulthood, Burkert said.
One of the principles in the home of Anna Wagner Ritter. Ritter was born in 1866 and stayed until 1968.
"He saw many changes happening in this house," Burkert said. "He lived from Andrew Johnson to President Lyndon B. Johnson."
Ritter's grandson, Robert Ritter, said he remembers going to her grandmother's house for home-cooked food.
"He always knew the things that we like to eat," he said.
Grandson Eugene Ritter also remembers his grandmother's food.
"Growing up as a Catholic, we can not eat until after church on Sunday and we'll go to grandma's house for dinner," he said.
The restoration process involved seemingly countless hours of research, Burkert said.
"These projects are based on research in archeology, history and genealogy," he said. "The scheme is the color of house paint, and we reproduced the original wallpaper from 1870 to 1910."
In addition to the interior of the house, Jaha partnered with Johnstown Garden Club to reproduce a garden containing vegetables grown during that time period.
Association has been patiently waiting for the opening of a museum but a big setback in 1998 when a fire occurs in the Wagner property next door and damaging the roof of the house, Burkert said.
The house will be open to the public free-of-charge June 3 and 4 during the 11-4 Friendly City Polka Fest in Johnstown.
www.dailyamerican.com
"The house jaha obtained in 1990, when Robert and Eugene Ritter donated the house to the association after the death of their uncle, Louis Ritter," says marketing manager Shelley Johansson Jaha.
A two-story house located at 418 Broad St. in Johnstown filled with memorabilia from the Wagner-Ritter family.
"Everything is authentic and original to the house," said Johansson.
"The purpose of this site is to provide a concrete understanding of how people lived in Johnstown 140 years ago," added Executive Director Richard Burkert Jaha. "This museum is a story of everyday men and women."
Johansson emphasizes the uniqueness of the Wagner-Ritter home.
"This is a museum houses extraordinary," he said. "Most of the time when you attend a house museum that is due to architectural design, or because someone famous lived there. It is not. The house is nice because it reminds visitors of their grandmother's house."
George and Francis Wagner is a German immigrant who emigrated from Germany in the 1850s and built a house in 1860, Burkert said.
The Wagners very religious and is one of the founding members of St. Mary's Immaculate Conception church in Johnstown, said Johansson.
The Wagners had 13 children but only seven reached adulthood, Burkert said.
One of the principles in the home of Anna Wagner Ritter. Ritter was born in 1866 and stayed until 1968.
"He saw many changes happening in this house," Burkert said. "He lived from Andrew Johnson to President Lyndon B. Johnson."
Ritter's grandson, Robert Ritter, said he remembers going to her grandmother's house for home-cooked food.
"He always knew the things that we like to eat," he said.
Grandson Eugene Ritter also remembers his grandmother's food.
"Growing up as a Catholic, we can not eat until after church on Sunday and we'll go to grandma's house for dinner," he said.
The restoration process involved seemingly countless hours of research, Burkert said.
"These projects are based on research in archeology, history and genealogy," he said. "The scheme is the color of house paint, and we reproduced the original wallpaper from 1870 to 1910."
In addition to the interior of the house, Jaha partnered with Johnstown Garden Club to reproduce a garden containing vegetables grown during that time period.
Association has been patiently waiting for the opening of a museum but a big setback in 1998 when a fire occurs in the Wagner property next door and damaging the roof of the house, Burkert said.
The house will be open to the public free-of-charge June 3 and 4 during the 11-4 Friendly City Polka Fest in Johnstown.
www.dailyamerican.com
No comments:
Post a Comment