FMHM Opens Christmas Store for the Holidays

Falkner Heritage Museum Project Opens Christmas Store for the Holidays

Southern Sentinel
November 20, 2019
By Christine Carpenter, BMC Intern
Photos courtesy of Southern Sentinel

Don’t have time to cook for Thanksgiving or Christmas? Looking for unique holiday decorations? The Falkner Heritage Museum Project has opened their Christmas store in the Old Cooper Hill Schoolhouse. The inside of the wood schoolhouse has been transformed into a holiday wonderland, with all sorts of goodies and Christmas decorations for sale.

There are pecan muffins, elaborate chocolate cakes, pies, and cookies of all kinds on display. They also have handmade Christmas decorations. Using all sorts of things—from ribbon to tin to paint to fabric—they have made cute ornaments and wall decorations.
The money from sales will go to several projects the museum project has lined up. First, they want to restore the schoolhouse completely, making it weathertight while at the same time preserving the original feeling of it. Next, they are working on moving one of the oldest houses in Falkner to the site, where it will serve as the main museum building.
Several ladies on the committee agreed that they have an extensive collection of records, but as Gaye Wilbanks said, “We don’t have a place to put it. We have notebooks, and we have write-ups, and we have photos and things that we’re collecting.”
“Our goal is to get the museum so all this collection that we’re gathering can be housed there,” added Myra McKee. “Community involvement has been wonderful. Not only raising the funds—which that is a great help—but also getting volunteers to help in the community projects.” She said local churches have helped with different construction projects, and business owners have given them supplies at discounted prices or helped with free labor.
Wilbanks agreed, “Truthfully, Falkner is a big family. We’re all, no matter which way you look, we’re all connected.
The Christmas store will be open every Saturday from 9a.m. to noon through Saturday, Dec. 14.