The Collection of the Bidwell House Museum

 

The collection of the Bidwell House Museum helps to illustrate life in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The last private residents of the house, Jack Hargis and David Brush, obtained Adonijah Bidwell’s probate inventory and set to furnishing the house using that list as their guide. A page from this inventory can be seen to the right. When the house became a museum after their passing, opening for its first season in 1990, the objects they had acquired over the years became the foundation of our collection. Several of the pieces have Bidwell provenance, and many were locally produced during the Bidwells’ time here. Our collection extends beyond what you see in the house, and includes objects relating to Hargis and Brush, who were both fashion designers. Please contact us if you’re interested in exploring particular aspects of our collection.

  • 18th century furniture
  • Early 19th century furniture
  • Quilts
  • Needlework
  • Silver
  • Baskets
  • Redware
  • China
  • Pewter

 

  • Food Molds
  • Treen
  • Books
  • Lighting devices from the 16th – 19th century
  • Rugs and other textiles
  • Artwork, including 18th century portraits and mezzotints
  • Documents from Adonijah Bidwell and the Bidwell Family
  • Extensive archives
  • And more…

 

 

Object of the Month

Explore a selection of our collection, including some pieces you might have seen on a tour and some from “behind the scenes.” Our Object of the Month series is featured in our email newsletter: sign up HERE.

Learn more about these objects HERE.