Old School History Museum

From The Plaza stage, Arch Smith described the rich history of Rock Eagle and its onsite 4-H Center in Putnam County. CONTRIBUTED

From The Plaza stage, Arch Smith described the rich history of Rock Eagle and its onsite 4-H Center in Putnam County. CONTRIBUTED

OSHM presents Rock Eagle retrospective

News Staff
Thursday, May 7, 2026
The Old School History Museum hosted the latest installment of its “Sunday at the Museum” lecture series on May 3 at The Plaza Arts Center, where guest speaker Arch Smith presented “Rock Eagle: The Evolution of the Land and Her People.
Eatonton native Ashley Quinn of GCSU’s William P. Wall Museum of Natural History made her presentation from The Plaza stage. CONTRIBUTED

Eatonton native Ashley Quinn of GCSU’s William P. Wall Museum of Natural History made her presentation from The Plaza stage. CONTRIBUTED

OSHM presents fossil-fueled lecture

News Staff
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
The Old School History Museum (OSHM) hosted Ashley Quinn of the William P. Wall Museum of Natural History at Georgia College & State University (GCSU) on Oct. 5, in its latest installment of “Sunday at the Museum” lectures.
Richard Garrett (right) answered audience questions following his “Forgotten Music of Georgia and Beyond” presentation at The Plaza. CONTRIBUTED

Richard Garrett (right) answered audience questions following his “Forgotten Music of Georgia and Beyond” presentation at The Plaza. CONTRIBUTED

Garrett gives music history lesson at The Plaza

News Staff
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Richard Garrett, co-owner of Dot-2-Dot Inn and recently elected as Putnam County’s District 2 Commissioner, presented “Forgotten Music of Georgia and Beyond” Sunday afternoon at The Plaza Arts Center in downtown Eatonton.
GCSU’s Dr. Eric Tenbus gestures toward the “Beer Street” political cartoon of artist William Hogarth during his talk at The Plaza Arts Center on Sunday afternoon. IAN TOCHER/Staff

GCSU’s Dr. Eric Tenbus gestures toward the “Beer Street” political cartoon of artist William Hogarth during his talk at The Plaza Arts Center on Sunday afternoon. IAN TOCHER/Staff

History on tap at Old School History Museum

Emme Clause
Thursday, October 10, 2024
On Sunday, people gathered in The Plaza Arts Center theater to hear Dr. Eric Tenbus, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Georgia College & State University, discuss “The History of Beer.” Tenbus’ presentation was part of the Old School History Museum’s Sunday at the Museum lecture series.
Five-year-old Evelyn Mallinson gets her face painted with a pink flower. (EMMA CLAUSE/Staff)

Five-year-old Evelyn Mallinson gets her face painted with a pink flower. (EMMA CLAUSE/Staff)

OSHM August Adventure offers ice cream and family fun

Emme Clause
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Eatonton’s Old School History Museum at The Plaza Arts Center hosted its 4th annual August Adventure on Saturday, welcoming crowds ready to enjoy some old-fashioned fun.“Our August Adventure has evolved over the years,” OSHM Director Sandra Rosseter explained.
BeeCo Apiaries’ Mary Lacksen (left) and her daughter-in-law Caroline Lacksen exhibit a live honeybee hive during their visit to Eatonton’s Old School History Museum last Sunday. CONTRIBUTED

BeeCo Apiaries’ Mary Lacksen (left) and her daughter-in-law Caroline Lacksen exhibit a live honeybee hive during their visit to Eatonton’s Old School History Museum last Sunday. CONTRIBUTED

The buzz on honeybees at OSHM

Rufus Adair
Thursday, October 19, 2023
This story features the buzz of the bees. Or at least as much as Georgia master beekeeper Mary Lacksen could pack into an hour’s presentation during the Old School History Museum’s most recent installment of its Sunday-at-the-Museum lecture series.
IAN TOCHER/Staff

IAN TOCHER/Staff

Putnam to A to Z: O is for Old School History Museum

Ian Tocher
Thursday, August 31, 2023
Editor’s note: The symmetry of 52 weeks in a year and 26 letters in our alphabet inspired us here at The Eatonton Messenger to embark on an alphabetical journey every other week in 2023, looking at something – or someone – unique, significant, unusual, or just plain interesting in Putnam County,...
Georgia Benjamin-Smith of Mothers Against Crime tells stories of the past to eager listeners in the old classroom at the Old School History Museum. LENA HENSLEY/Staff

Georgia Benjamin-Smith of Mothers Against Crime tells stories of the past to eager listeners in the old classroom at the Old School History Museum. LENA HENSLEY/Staff

Old School History Museum hosts annual August Adventure

Lena Hensley
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
The Old School History Museum (OSHM) gathered Eatonton residents of all ages at The Plaza Arts Center Aug. 12 for its annual August Adventure, featuring an Ice Cream Social this year. A record 200-plus visitors came to enjoy cold, sweet ice cream on a hot summer day and play old-timey games.
The Old School History Museum at The Plaza Arts Center includes a recreation of The PEX Theater box office among its displays. CONTRIBUTED

The Old School History Museum at The Plaza Arts Center includes a recreation of The PEX Theater box office among its displays. CONTRIBUTED

Remembering the PEX Theater

Sandra Rosseter
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
As Eatonton residents await the second “grand opening” of the beloved PEX Theater in downtown Eatonton, the Old School History Museum decided to visit Susan Peck Park and hear stories of the theater that only she would know. Susan is the granddaughter of John Peck Jr.
Joe Smith

Joe Smith

OSHM hosts Georgia architecture lecture

Lena Hensley
Thursday, June 1, 2023
As part of Historic Preservation Month, Eatonton’s Old School History Museum (OSHM) hosted a lecture on May 7, “Architecture in Georgia: A Diagnostic Sampler of Type and Style, 1800-1940.
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