The Nellie Tyrrell Museum and the Rural Museum are owned and maintained by the Town of Edinburg and leased to the Edinburg Historical Society.

The Nellie Tyrrell Edinburgh Museum,
formerly the Beecher Hollow School

The Nellie Tyrrell Museum was originally the Beecher Hollow School. This one-room school was built in 1860 on property once part of the Walter Vaughn Farm. It replaces an earlier log school that was located just above the present Copeland Bridge. The building served as a school until 1930 when it became the Town Hall until 1974. In 1975 it opened as the Edinburgh Town Museum and was renamed the Nellie Tyrrell Museum in 1979.

The 1200 sq. ft. Nellie Tyrrell Museum accommodates the archival documents such as photographs, maps, drawings, books, articles, pictures, paintings, and public and personal records. In addition, exhibits include “An Early Schoolroom”, “Life in Batchellerville”, “Women’s Work”, “Military Contributions”, and “Leather & Tanning”.

Historic Edinburgh Day at the Rural

The Rural Museum,a 3500 sq. ft. rustic barn-type structure, is located just up the hill from the Nellie Tyrrell Museum. The building had been the former Town highway barn until 1975 and was then used as a storage facility until 1992. The Town leased the building to the Society in 1992, and renamed the Rural Museum, has been housing permanent exhibits ever since. Over the years the exhibits included “Early Logging”, and “Maple

Senator Farley at the Rural Museum

Sugaring”; in the spring of 2001, the “Victorian Parlor”, “Country Kitchen”, and “Woodworking” exhibits were updated and improved and a working “Up and Down Sawmill” exhibit was installed. The “Threads, Fiber and Fabric” exhibit centers around a working loom for visitors and students to work on.

The two Museums are normally open to the public from July through August and admission is free to all. Hours are 12pm-3pm Saturdays and by appointment. The Nellie is currently closed for renovations. The Society offers tours of the Museums to schools and organizations as requested.