[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 5, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5790-S5791]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, this Saturday marks the 50th anniversary 
of Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, MA, where our Nation's past 
comes alive for large numbers of visitors each year.
  In 1995, over 500,000 people--including 110,000 schoolchildren--
visited Old Sturbridge Village and enjoyed its workshops, performances, 
arts and crafts programs, and numerous special events. The American 
Association of Museums has described the village as a ``model living 
history museum. The historic structures and their interpretation 
combine to offer visitors an experience that is authentic, instructive, 
and enjoyable. Education programs at Old Sturbridge Village set a very 
high standard for others to aspire toward . . . [and] deserve to be 
emulated in our profession.''
  Old Sturbridge Village has accomplished a great deal since it first 
opened to the public in 1946. It was originally established through the 
philanthropy of Albert Wells and J. Cheney Wells, two brothers who 
owned and operated the American Optical Company in Southbridge, MA. The 
Wells brothers were passionate collectors of American antiques. When 
their collections outgrew their homes, they came up with the idea of 
displaying them in a working village that would recreate the 
occupations of early 19th century New England for future generations.
  Today, Old Sturbridge Village stands on a 200-acre tract of farmland 
and meadows donated by the Wells brothers, complete with a Federal-era 
mansion, a working sawmill and gristmill, and over 40 buildings that 
house their collections of antiques. Visitors who walk along the 
village's unpaved roads,

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or go into the Asa Knight General Store stocked with snuff and tooth 
powder have a genuine sense of stepping back into time and history. I 
have visited Old Sturbridge Village many times with my family, and I am 
always greatly impressed with the exhibits and demonstrations.
  President Kennedy once said that ``we celebrate the past to awaken 
the future.'' For 50 years, Old Sturbridge Village has accomplished 
that goal. I commend Alberta Scott George, president of Old Sturbridge 
Village, and her dedicated staff, past and present, on this auspicious 
anniversary for all they have done so well, and for their skill in 
preserving these fascinating aspects of our Massachusetts heritage and 
history.

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