The Baldwin-Reynolds House Museum

08/23/2026

Hello! The Baldwin-Reynolds House Museum is unfortunately CLOSED today for a private event rental. Thank you for your understanding and see you next week!

08/18/2026

Only two more weeks to stop at our summer exhibit: A Patchwork Past - Telling America's Story Through Quilts!

Thursday through Sunday 11am - 4pm

Your admission is FREE through a generous sponsorship from the Crawford County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a250-exhibit-a-patchwork-past-telling-americas-story-through-quilts-tickets-1918190472339

08/18/2026

Ushabtis, also called shabtis or shawabtis, were small funerary figures placed in the tombs of ancient Egyptians. They were believed to serve the deceased in the afterlife by carrying out various duties on their behalf, allowing the deceased to avoid performing these tasks personally. The name “ushabti” is derived from the ancient Egyptian term wsḥb, meaning “answer .

08/16/2026

What Would You Put in Your Tomb?
Remember the Coburn Collection update we shared a while back? Max Yeager has been hard at work, and the new display is almost complete before he heads back to Dickinson College.
As I was looking at a component of the display, I came across these small Egyptian figures. I had no idea what they were—so naturally, I had to look them up!
Here’s your question:
Why would an ancient Egyptian put little figures like these in a tomb?
A. They were toys for the afterlife
B. They were meant to help with work in the afterlife
C. They represented the person’s family
D. They were simply decorations
What do you think?
Leave your answer in the comments before you look it up! And stay tuned—we’ll reveal the answer and tell you what these fascinating little figures are called.
We invite you to come and see these artifacts up close! It is quite an amazing display!

08/13/2026

CALLING CARDS: THERE WERE RULES…AND EVEN SECRET MESSAGES!
Remember our little silver calling-card case? We now know what it held. But did you know that in the 19th century, using the cards correctly could be almost as important as having them? Calling cards were governed by an elaborate system of social etiquette. A mistake could be embarrassing—and knowing the rules was part of knowing your place in polite society. Here are just a few of the rules:
WHEN COULD YOU CALL?
You couldn't simply drop by whenever you wanted. Formal calls were generally made during designated afternoon hours. Ladies might even have specific “At Home” days when they were available to receive visitors. A social call was also expected to be brief—often only 20 to 30 minutes. And if another caller arrived? The first visitor was expected to leave shortly afterward.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE DOOR?
A servant would receive the visitor's card and take it to the lady of the house. She could decide whether to receive the visitor. If she was “not at home,” that might mean she was literally unavailable—or it could be a polite way of saying that the visit was not welcome.A first-time visitor was often wise simply to leave the card without asking to be received. The recipient could then decide whether to return the acquaintance.
A CALL SHOULD BE RETURNED
A call was generally expected to be returned with a call—or a card with a card—within
AND THEN THERE WAS THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF THE CARD…
Even a turned-down corner could communicate something. A corner turned down could indicate that the card had been delivered personally rather than by a servant. Some elaborate cards went even further. Words such as Visite, Felicitation, Affaires, and Adieu could appear on the reverse corners, indicating the purpose of the visit. Imagine it:You arrive at someone's home, hand over a tiny card—and before you've even had a conversation, that card may already have communicated your purpose. And then those abbreviations or acronyms like in texting today. Many were taken from French phrases like P.P.C.—from the French pour prendre congé—which was used when someone was leaving the area and wished to say farewell.
NOW FOR THE QUESTION/s…
Would YOU have been able to remember all these rules? Would you have found this elaborate system fascinating—or exhausting?
Or would you have accidentally committed a terrible social mistake? And here's the bigger question:
Tell us in the comments! Also we invite you to visit the Baldwin-Reynolds house to see this little silver case up close…….and many other surprises and interesting finds!

08/10/2026

REMEMBER THAT LITTLE SILVER CASE?
A few days ago, we asked you to guess what this tiny silver case was made to hold.
If you guessed calling cards, you are a history whiz!
Here's what was inside—and why those tiny cards mattered so much.
A calling card, also known as a visiting card, was a small card bearing a person's name. During the 18th and 19th centuries, calling cards became an important part of social life, particularly among the upper and middle classes. But these weren't simply the 19th-century equivalent of a business card.
A calling card could be used to: announce a visit, introduce yourself to a new acquaintance, acknowledge someone’s hospitality, offer congratulations, express sympathy or condolences, announce that you were leaving town, or simply indicate that you wanted to maintain or discourage a social relationship.
And here’s where things get really interesting…..there were rules and secret messages.

What do you think a calling card could communicate WITHOUT the visitor saying a word?
Make your best guess in the comments!
In our next post, we'll take a closer look at the surprisingly complicated social rules and hidden messages of the calling card.

08/09/2026

The Conversation That Changed Meadville……But Almost Forgot the Man Who Started It!
Have you ever wondered what conversations took place inside the Baldwin Reynolds House that helped shape Meadville’s future?
While no record tells us exactly where initial or final community leaders met to discuss this particular business opportunity, we do know that William Reynolds and his son John Earle were among the investors who helped convince an ambitious inventor and entrepreneur named Frederick B. McCrosky to move his business from Cincinnati, Ohio to Meadville in 1904. It isn’t difficult to imagine discussions taking place in the elegant rooms of the Reynolds home or even possibly in William’s land office in the basement where business, community and industry were often intertwined.
Today, many longtime Meadville residents remember the McCrosky Tool Company. They remember the generations of employees, the company’s long success, and the name that became synonymous with quality manufacturing, but mostly as told through the many men who guided the company after its reorganization in 1907.
Yet the story begins with one man whose role is sometimes overlooked: Frederick Barber McCrosky (1865-1944).
Before arriving in Meadville, he had already earned a national reputation as an inventor, machinist and manufacturer in Cincinnati, Ohio. McCrosky was active in military service during the Spanish-American War era, serving in Cuba while rising to the rank of lieutenant in the United States Volunteer Engineers. Around 1902 he patented an innovative inserted-blade adjustable reamer that distinguished his products from competitors. Within a year of his patent, he was sole owner of a manufacturing firm in Cincinnati. Newspapers reported that he was the only manufacturer of adjustable reamers in the United States and that nearly one-quarter of his business served international markets. His company produced some of the largest adjustable reamers in existence at that time.
His connection to Meadville began when he visited the city seeking business from local tool manufacturers. One, James O. Barrett, quickly recognized both the quality of McCrosky’s products and the potential benefit of relocating his business to Meadville. Acting on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, Barret worked diligently to persuade McCrosky to move his operation from Cincinnati.
The effort was successful.
In late 1903 and early 1904, local business leaders, William Reynolds, John Earle Reynolds, Samuel Stern, A.C. Huidekoper, Otto Stolz, and Otto Hauch invested capital to help establish the enterprise here in Meadville. By February 1, 1904, the above investors along with three more completed and filed an application with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to charter the F.B. McCrosky Manufacturing Company. McCrosky himself held the overwhelming majority of shares, demonstrating that the company was built around his inventions, experience, and manufacturing expertise. This new company occupied part of the former H.W. Reynolds Grille Works building on Race Street. Contemporary reports noted that the company arrived with approximately four railroad carloads of machinery and a year’s worth of orders already on hand. The factory was expected to employ between 20 and 50 skilled workers and bring additional families to Meadville.
Despite these promising beginnings, the company soon encountered financial difficulties. Historians have suggested that undercapitalization may have been one cause. In May of 1907 the company entered receivership. Its machinery, inventory, and equipment were valued at approximately $16,000 (equivalent to about $600,000 today) and were eventually acquired by local investors led by Dr. Hamaker, who represented interests that included members of the Reynolds family and W. I. Bates.
What happened next is perhaps the strongest evidence of McCrosky’s importance.
The local investors did not discard his signature product, patents, or identity. Instead, they reorganized the business around them. In October of 1907 the assets were transferred to the newly organized McCrosky Reamer Company. The Evening Republican reported that local investors subscribed all the company’s stock after becoming convinced of the “great possibilities” of the tools being manufactured.
Significantly, the name “McCrosky” remained.
For the next century, through every reorganization, expansion, management change, and ownership transition, the company continued to trade on the reputation established by the founder. Managers such as F.P. Miller, R. W. Thomas, John Shaffer, and many others deserve recognition for sustaining and growing the enterprise. Yet, they did so under a name that originated with Frederick B. McCrosky and around products that stemmed from his innovations.
Meanwhile, in 1907 McCrosky himself moved west and embarked on another successful career in Port Hueneme, Ventura County, California as a leader in the regions agricultural and commercial development which earned him recognition as the “Father of Port Hueneme.” He also continued his inventive work, receiving another patent for an adjustable reamer in 1908 and later securing an international patent in 1919 with associates Charles Robert Twitchell and Edmund Alexander Miller.
When Frederick B. McCrosky died on May 2, 1944, he had long since left Meadville. Yet his influence remained. The company he founded continued operating under his name for decades afterward, surviving until its acquisition by Tool Fabrication in 2003.
History rightfully remembers the many individuals who guided McCrosky Tool through the 20th century. Their stewardship transformed a small manufacturing venture into a durable industrial institution. But the foundation of that success was laid by Frederick B. McCrosky, the inventor, entrepreneur, and visionary whose products, patents, and reputation gave birth to the enterprise.
Without the generations who followed, McCrosky Tool might never have endured. Without Frederick B. McCrosky, however, there would have been no McCrosky Tool at all.

08/08/2026

WHAT IS THIS TINY SILVER CASE?
Take a good look at this little silver case.
It measures only about 3 inches by 2 inches.
What do you think it was made to hold?
A. Coins
B. Jewelry
C. Cigarette papers
D. Something completely different
What’s your guess? Tell us in the comments BEFORE you look it up!
This little object from the Baldwin-Reynolds House collection has a fascinating story behind it!
There’s more to the story of this little case. Stay posted!

08/02/2026

The Forgotten Middle Children
Most people know the oldest Reynolds daughter, Frances, who married into Meadville’s prominent Huidekoper family. Others remember the youngest sibling, John Earle Reynolds, who inherited the family home that eventually became the Baldwin-Reynolds House Museum. Their portraits hang in the museum today, and their accomplishments are well remembered.
But tucked quietly between them were two siblings whose stories have nearly disappeared from history—Henry William Reynolds and Julia Reynolds Fuller. Their lives unfolded largely in the shadow of their better-known brother and sister, yet they also helped shape the Reynolds family story.
Henry William Reynolds was born on August 26, 1852, the oldest son and third of the four Reynolds children. His older sister Frances married A.C. Huidekoper on September 21, 1869, leaving the family home at that time. The 1870 census still shows seventeen-year-old Henry living at the Reynolds homestead at 639 Terrace Street—often referred to simply as "The Terrace" in newspaper accounts and census records—along with his older twenty-one-year-old unmarried sister Julia and six-year-old brother John Earle.
Henry attended the Preparatory School at Allegheny College during the 1869–70 and 1870–71 academic years. Whether he intended to pursue a college degree is unclear, but his career would center on engaging in his family's business interests rather than academia.
On September 20, 1876, Henry married Cora Adelle Mosier. The young couple established their home at 200 Spring Street, sometimes described as the corner of Spring and Terrace Streets. The property was part of the original Baldwin estate inherited by William and Julia Thorp Reynolds from William's aunt, Sarah Ellicott Baldwin.
Their married life began with hope but was soon touched by tragedy. On December 21, 1878, Henry and Cora welcomed a daughter, Grace. Just eighteen days later, on January 8, 1879, the infant died. While no newspaper describes the family's grief, one can only imagine the sorrow that surrounded the loss of their first and only child.
Piecing together Henry's working life requires following scattered newspaper articles, business directories, and census records. From 1878 through the late 1880s, city directories consistently list him collaborating with his father at Athens Mills, first under W.R. & Son and later as Athens Mills Lumber and Manufacturing.
In late 1889, the family business entered a new chapter. An article in the Evening Republican announced that William Reynolds, Henry Reynolds, and businessman A.J. Howe would convert part of Athens Mills into a furniture manufacturing operation. A second article in April 1890 explained that the business, known as the Meadville Furniture and Manufacturing Company, was owned by William Reynolds and H.W. Reynolds, with Henry supervising the operation while A.J. Howe oversaw marketing.
Beginning March 1, the company manufactured furniture in mahogany, walnut, antique oak, and other popular sixteenth-century revival styles noted for their superior quality. The enterprise appears to have continued until about 1895.
As portions of the former Athens Mills complex gradually closed, Henry adapted once again. Occupying one of the large buildings south of Race Street, he established a Grille and Fret Work Manufactory, which newspaper and directory references indicate operated through about 1903. By 1900, the principal Athens Mills building on Race Street had reportedly stood idle for several years before being sold to the L.F. Smith Lumber Company.
Henry's final known business position came in 1905, when he served as secretary of the McCrosky Tool Company. Interestingly, this company had been brought to Meadville in large part through the efforts of five local businessmen of which included H.W.’s younger brother, John Earle Reynolds.
At some point between 1897 and 1900, Henry and Cora appear to have moved back into the family homestead at 639 Terrace Street, where census records and directories place them living with William and Julia Reynolds. Henry and Cora remained there until their deaths.
Cora died in 1903 followed by Henry died on August 28, 1908, only two days after his fifty-sixth birthday. His death certificate records the cause as a malignant growth of the pancreas, with a catarrhal condition of the stomach that had troubled him for about a year. His final illness lasted approximately nine weeks. Curiously, his death certificate listed his occupation simply as "retired."
His obituary was surprisingly brief, noting only that he died at City Hospital and that funeral services would be held at the Park Avenue Congregational Church. Yet another newspaper reported that the funeral was largely attended, with a prayer service first held at the Reynolds residence before the church service.
However, Cora’s obituary tells us something about the life they shared. It described her as a devoted member of Park Avenue Congregational Church from its earliest days, active in numerous church societies, conscientious in her Christian duties, secretary of the Historical, Art and Literature Association, cheerful by nature, and unwaveringly loyal to her friends. Both she and Henry had been deeply involved in the life of their church.
Henry's younger sister, Julia Thorp Reynolds, followed a somewhat different path. Born in 1848, she remained at the family home well into adulthood, helping maintain the busy Reynolds household while her older sister had since married and her younger brother was still growing up.
At the age of thirty-three, Julia married Hiram Holcomb Fuller on July 13, 1881. Hiram had joined his brother's A.M. Fuller Dry Goods Company in 1874, where he remained until 1905. Beyond his mercantile career, he became active in real estate, a pursuit reflected both in his obituary and in newspaper accounts. In 1912, he served as the agent selling parcels of the Reynolds estate between Terrace and Baldwin Streets following William Reynolds' death and the provisions of his will.
Like many prominent Meadville businessmen of the period, Hiram belonged to the Iroquois Club, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Literary Union. He also served as a trustee of Park Avenue Congregational Church from its organization. Julia shared his deep commitment to the church.
The Fullers had one child, Julia "Gertrude" Fuller, born November 21, 1882. Gertrude later married Harold Wallace Sherwood and spent much of her adult life in New York City, where she lived until her death in 1957.
One intriguing detail emerges from census records: although Julia married and started a family, she appears to have continued living at the Reynolds homestead with her parents, husband, and daughter for many years. Only after the deaths of William and Julia Reynolds—and as John Earle and his wife assumed responsibility for the household—does it appear that the Fullers established a separate residence, likely sometime around 1912.
Julia also seems to have followed many of the same social and church activities as her sister-in-law, Cora Reynolds, suggesting the close-knit relationships that continued among members of the extended Reynolds family.
Unlike Frances and John Earle, whose wealth, marriages, and inheritance kept them in the public eye, Henry and Julia left fewer newspaper headlines and fewer visible reminders of their lives. No portraits of either sibling currently hang in the Baldwin-Reynolds House Museum. Yet together they experienced many of the same joys and sorrows that shaped every family: education, marriage, business ventures, the loss of a child, caring for aging parents, church service, and quiet devotion to their community.
Sometimes history remembers those who achieved the greatest prominence. Just as often, however, the lives that sustained a family unfold quietly in the background. Henry William Reynolds and Julia Reynolds Fuller may be the forgotten middle children, but their stories remain an important part of the history of the Reynolds family and of the remarkable home they all once shared.
The next time you visit the Baldwin-Reynolds House Museum, look beyond the portraits on the walls. Every room holds stories of family members whose names are less familiar, but whose lives were equally woven into the fabric of this extraordinary home. Sometimes the most rewarding discoveries are the ones history almost forgot.

07/28/2026