About the Museum
The Cynthiana Harrison County Museum first opened its doors in July 1994. Housed in the historic Rohs Movie Theatre on S. Walnut St., the museum is a step back in time, displaying nearly 4000 artifacts showcasing the community’s Military, Education, and Agricultural Histories. Rooms are also devoted to items from childhood, daily life, local industry, and the town’s churches, police, and fire departments.
Our museum exists to preserve, display, maintain, and share artifacts of historical significance. It provides a “snapshot” into the past. The Cynthiana Harrison County Trust Inc. established the museum to provide a place where the tangible history of this small-town Kentucky community could reside.
Preserving the 7th Ohio Cavalry Civil War Letters
The Cynthiana Harrison County Trust Inc. which operates the museum procured the William and Mary P Jones Civil War letters directly from Robert Jones — the Great Great Grandson of William Jones. The Robert Jones family wanted the letters to be kept in their county of origin — hence their return to Harrison County.
After receiving the Jones’ family letters, the museum took several steps to preserve the letters to ensure that their legacy will live on. Because many of the original letters were written on patriotic letterhead and the envelopes display historic stamps, they have been stored away for safekeeping. Each letter was transcribed and placed into a binder to make it easy to read through the couple’s correspondence. Additionally, there is a photocopy of each letter in a companion journal for those who wish to see the letterhead or the Jones’ handwriting.
Researchers, historians, Civil War buffs and others may view the binders in their display case at the museum. The display case also features family photos and other memorabilia owned by the Jones family.
For the first time, the Jones family letters are now available online through this collaborative project with Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication.
