Sayre museum reopening with ‘Answering the Call’ exhibit

The Sayre Historical Society will open for the 2017 season on Saturday, April 1 with a new exhibit on “A History of Firefighting in Sayre” and a stunning restoration of the Sayre Theater’s old marquee.

The hours are Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesday, from 5 to 7 p.m. starting April 1. Admission is free and the museum, located in the historic Lehigh Valley Railroad station in downtown Sayre, is handicap-accessible.

The newest rotating exhibit, titled “Answering the Call,” focuses on the long history of firefighting in Sayre. A treasury of historic photographs from the collection of the Sayre Fire Department and longtime Sayre historian James Nobles documents the entire history of the department.

 Rare images of the Robert Packer Hose Company, which was organized in 1885, as well as a collection of firemen’s convention ribbons dating back to the late 1800’s are included in the display. Other topics include the E.P. Wilbur Hook & Ladder Company, Milltown’s J. E Wheelock Hose Company, the Howard Elmer Hose Company and the Robert Sayre Hose Company. 

Historic fires in the borough are also recounted including the 1933 fire at Robert Packer Hospital, the 1948 fire at the Lehigh Valley Railroad’s coaling station and the Bond Jewelry Store fire on Desmond Street in 1957, among others. Signature photographs of Stanley Stark, teenage mascot of the Wilbur Hook & Ladder Company, as well as volunteer “Smokey Joe” Kennedy are also included in the exhibit.

The exhibit, running from April 1 to Sept. 6, will feature a 28-page illustrated booklet available for sale at the museum in the Burkhart Gift Shop. 

The newest artifact in the museum, a restored section of the Sayre Theater marquee, will also be premiered on April 1. Painstakingly reconditioned by museum volunteer Chuck DeRose, the section of the marquee, repainted and illuminated by lights, has been relocated to the museum’s lobby. An exhibit on the rich history of the community’s movie theater history will also be on display in the lobby. 

For more information, visit the museum’s website at www.sayrehistoricalsociety.org or go to the museum’s Facebook page.

The Sayre Historical Society is a non-profit historic preservation organization staffed by volunteers and funded in part by the Bradford County United Way. The organization also receives funding from the Bradford County Tourism Promotion Agency, which helped fund the new exhibit and the marketing efforts of the museum.