New to the museum
SAXONBURG — The Saxonburg Museum had a makeover during the winter, acquiring new exhibits and organizing existing ones.
Fred Caesar, vice president of the Saxonburg Historical & Restoration Commission, which operates the museum on North Rebecca Street, said the archives serve an important function.
“This really preserves the heritage of this area,” Caesar said.
Among the new items is a replica of a KDKA transmission facility, called the Dog House, from the 1930s.
The company in 1929 relocated its transmitter to a site one mile south of Saxonburg, where the company II-VI is now.
The Dog House was used as a tuning house in the center of an antenna field.
Retired KDKA staffers recently visited the museum to see the new exhibits.
“It was interesting to hear the engineers talk about how they Mickey Moused things,” said Gerry Mullen, chairman of the historical commission.
The original Dog House, which has been modified over the years, still is outside the museum.
Caesar stressed the replica is an accurate representation of what the Dog House looked like when it was used for transmission purposes. It has a cutaway showing the original Spider Coil used to match the transmitter to the antenna.
After receiving a photograph of the original Dog House during the time of its use, the historical commission discovered there were more details to be added to the replica.
“We've got more wiring to do,” Mullen said.
The Dog House and a 718-foot antenna tower were relocated to Allison Park in 1939.
The tower was replaced in 1994, retiring the Dog House and Spider Coil, both of which were eventually donated to the museum.
John Roebling, a German immigrant who co-founded the borough, also invented wire cable and designed the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.The museum's Roebling Room also has new additions. One is a property deed signed by Roebling and his wife Johanna in 1849.The room also has a few of the Brooklyn Bridge's original lights.Another new item in the room is a replica of a piece of wire cable donated by the Loos & Co. Inc. in Connecticut.Mullen said the cable replica illustrates how the wire used on the Brooklyn Bridge was wound together.The replica is 2 inches in diameter. The actual wire on the bridge is 15 inches wide.Yet another new feature is an enlarged photograph of the exterior of the old GW Maurhoff store. The cutouts of the blow up is used on the front of the room commemorating the store.Caesar said the effect is seeing the view someone entering the store in that time period, which may be the 1920s, would have seen.The cutouts show the store's advertised prices, including 27 cents for a dozen eggs and $3.75 for a dress mirror.The front of the museum now has Saxonburg Theatre, an alcove with items and a television monitor showing Ken Burns' documentary about the Brooklyn Bridge.Mullen said the cost for the improvements was roughly $10,000.“We're very fortunate to have enough money to have it done,” he said.Mullen credited Caesar for putting in an extensive amount of time refurbishing the museum.“We're lucky to have Fred,” Mullen said.Other commission members helped on weekends.
Caesar said he always had an interest in history, stopping in other museums to educate himself on how people lived in various areas.Mullen cited his involvement in the historical commission as increasing his interest in antiquity.He said every visit to the museum is a learning experience.“Every time I walk in here, I see something I haven't seen before,” Mullen said.Caesar pointed out that areas such as the farming equipment are more organized. One rear corner has gas and oil items, including wooden pipes used to move oil and water.“This is how they did it back then,” Caesar said.Among other changes to the museum is more lighting to brighten up the displays.Caesar cited some museum pieces demonstrating other eras.A baby carriage dating back to the 1860s has straw padding under the material. A 1947 piece is a combination television, radio and record player.The museum opens May 28 for the 2016 season. Through September, the museum will be open 2 to 5 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.In addition to the 6,000-square-foot museum, which was built in 1991, the historical commission also operates Roebling Park and Cooper Hall at the same site.
