Visitors at the museum this year are in for a treat with additions of new exhibits and improvements in lighting.
The largest change made this year is the addition of a 12-foot wide and 8-foot tall Canton exhibit featuring famous residents such as actors, actresses, circus professionals, and a competitive roller skater. A harness, bicycle and other equipment used by Butch Brann and Amelia "Mil" LaPell Brann in their "perch act" is on display along with hats worn by famous little person, Casper Weis, and a hair brush that belonged to his wife Mab. Other belongings of the Weis’ are also on display. Roller skates and other items belonging to Frank Snell, a competitive roller skater from Canton, are in the exhibit.
Many photographs are featured such as some behind-the-scenes shots of Harry Davenport and his son Ned, both originally from Canton, on the set of the movie, Gone With the Wind. The museum tracked down a very rare photograph of the Swiss Chalet, a building purchased at the World’s Fair by actor Frank Mayo and brought to his home in Canton. The image was taken at the World’s Fair prior to the building being dismantled for shipment to Canton. It is perhaps the most detailed image of the Swiss Chalet ever found. Another photograph features Harry Sill of Canton who was part of an acrobatic act with a young Burt Lancaster and Nick Cravat, the latter two becoming Hollywood actors.
The military exhibit has been moved to the second floor and expanded with additional items that have been received in recent years. The exhibit covers the Civil War, World War I and World War II. Three cases of items from Laquin have been added with many pieces from the Barclay family home. New surprises will also be found in several of the permanent exhibits.
Track lighting has been added to the second floor of the museum to better illuminate the exhibits and the change has been dramatic. LED lighting has also been added inside many of the display cases.
Admission to the museum is a donation to support the preservation of local history. Donations keep this vital local resource available in southwestern Bradford County.
The gift shop in the museum still has copies of the book, Images of Southwestern Bradford County, published in 2014. It is the largest photo history of southwestern Bradford County ever published.
LeRoy Heritage Museum is located at 257 Mill Street, off Rt. 414, in LeRoy, 8 miles east of Canton. Watch for the signs. More information about the museum, its events, membership or other details can be found online at www.leroyheritage.org. The LeRoy Heritage Museum is sponsored in part by the United Way of Bradford County.