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Half-century of history
Arms Family Museum milestone
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
The Mahoning Val- ley Historical Society is ready to mark a milestone.
Wednesday will be the 50th anniversary of the day the society took over the Arms family home. The property has since become the Arms Family Museum — the centerpiece of the MVHS.
To celebrate the anniversary, the society will have a free open house at the museum at 648 Wick Ave. from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday.
“Establishing the Arms Family Museum really defined the historical society as an organization for the first time,” said Bill Lawson, executive director of the MVHS.
On March 30, 1961, the MVHS took ownership of the former home of Olive F.A. and Wilford P. Arms. Mrs. Arms was aware of the suitability of her home to serve as a museum, according to MVHS spokeswoman Leann Rich. She wanted to entrust the preservation of the house and her personal collection to a trustworthy institution.
Arms left the property to the historical society in memory of her father, Charles Dayton Arms, a founding member of the society; and her mother, Hannah Wick Arms.
In addition to the gift of the property, its buildings and their contents, Olive Arms also added to her bequest an endowment fund for maintenance and operation. She died in August of 1960.
The Arms family home was built in 1905 by the Armses, who dubbed it Greystone.
The Arms Family Museum opened to the public in February 1964.
Those who tour it today get a glimpse of the past.
On the first floor, in original period rooms, visitors experience the Arms family’s love of handicrafts, medieval architecture and design, and the natural environment.
Visitors also learn about the Arms family itself, as well as the Arts and Crafts design and architecture movement of the late 1800s and early 1900s, of which the home is an example.
Museum-goers also get a peek at what life was like for a family in Youngstown during the early part of the 20th century. Exhibits on the second floor and lower level explore the history of all the people who have lived in the Mahoning Valley, while ever-changing exhibitions in the museum’s galleries help visitor understand the way of life for different groups of people at various times.
The Anne Kilcawley Christman Hands-On History Room allows children and families to explore history through a variety of games, crafts and artifact replicas.