HUNTSVILLE – This year is the 70th anniversary of Burritt on the Mountain, Huntsville’s first museum.
Founded in 1955, Burritt on the Mountain evolved from a home museum into a living history museum with nature trails, historic log cabins, the McCurdy Barnyard, Baron Bluff and The View.
At the heart of the historic site stands Dr. William Burritt’s 1938 mansion.
“In celebration of our 70th anniversary this year as Huntsville’s first museum, we decided to do a special crowdfunding campaign to support the restoration of the windows in Doctor Burritt’s 1938 mansion,” said CEO Melanie Thornton.
The goal of the campaign is to raise $70,000 in honor of 70 years.
“The design of the house allows for natural light to flood into the home, but the windows need repair,” said Thornton. “There are 36 windows of varying sizes, each with individual panes of glass. That is 816 individual panes that will need to be removed while the frames are carefully cleaned and restored and the glass replaced.”
Burritt on the Mountain hosts year-round events and activities as well as more than 150 field trips a year.
“It is a cherished local landmark and one of the top destinations in North Alabama,” Thornton said. “The importance of this legacy is that we are celebrating the history of North Alabama through the mansion, our historic exhibits, nature trails, but also through our historic park where we have seven cabins, all from North Alabama here, including our oldest cabin, the Eddins House, the oldest one in all of Alabama.”
The Historic Park at Burritt features aspects of farm life from the Tennessee Valley complete with living history interpreters, dressed in period clothing.
Meanwhile, the barnyard features live animals including goats, sheep, a horse, chickens and a very muddy pig named Sweetie Pie.
Thornton said supporting Burritt on the Mountain allows families, students, and visitors of all ages to enjoy this cultural landmark for years to come.
“As we celebrate 70 years, we invite the community to join us in protecting this landmark for future generations,” she said.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our email newsletter to have all our smart stories delivered to your inbox.
