Georgia Museum of Agriculture & Historic Village

Sign and building to purchase tickets
Turpentine distilled here as it was circa 1900

The Georgia Museum of Agriculture & Historic Village, formerly known as Agrirama, is a 19th-century living museum located in Tifton, Georgia. It opened on July 4, 1976. The grounds consist of five areas: a traditional farm community of the 1870s, an 1890s progressive farmstead, an industrial sites complex, rural town, national peanut complex, and the Museum of Agriculture Center.

Over 35 structures have been relocated to the 95-acre (380,000 m2) site and faithfully restored or preserved including the Vulcan Steam Train running on 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge[1] track. Costumed interpreters explain and demonstrate the lifestyle and activities of this time in Georgia's history.[2] It is located at 1392 Whiddon Mill Road off I-75 at Exit 63B.

The museum is a facility of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

Notable facilities

Like many living museums, this one includes residences, a grist mill, saw mill and stores. More notable demonstrations include a turpentine still and a cotton gin.

The cotton gin is a reconstruction designed to demonstrate ginning technologies of the period 1890–1900.[3] During this period, mid-nineteenth century gins were being replaced by the system gin invented by Robert S. Munger. This gin demonstrates all the system ginning technologies, but does not operate as efficiently as a system gin because it only contains one gin stand. Its equipment was made by Lummus of Columbus, Georgia.[3][4] In 1999, Lummus moved to Savannah, Georgia, where it continues to make cotton gins.[5] The museum operates the gin for the public annually.

References

  1. ^ Steamlocomotive.info
  2. ^ "Welcome to ABAC's Georgia Museum of Agriculture".
  3. ^ a b Scott, Laurie A.; Phillips, Patricia L. (c. 1990). Cotton Ginning and Rural Life in Georgia. Tifton Georgia and Lumpkin Georgia: Georgia Agrirama and Westville Historic Handicrafts. pp. 10–11.
  4. ^ "ABAC Cotton Gin Running Again". The Albany Herald. Tribune Content Agency. 16 November 2017 – via Proquest.
  5. ^ Dewitte, Dave (29 Aug 1999). "Lummus lands in the cradle of the cotton gin: Tradition-rich cotton gin maker is ready for another 130 years after move to Savannah". Savannah Morning News (Home ed.). p. 8D. ISSN 1047-028X – via Proquest Central.

31°27′55″N 83°32′07″W / 31.46531°N 83.53518°W / 31.46531; -83.53518

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