“The hat maketh the person”; although Shakespeare did not say that, he could well have.  Indeed, in addition to recreating an old schoolhouse atmosphere, there has also been work on new exhibits showcasing the evolution of certain items over three centuries. These include watches, maps, compasses, some weapons and especially, hats. 

We have a brown fantail hat of a type favored by the local farmers who rushed to Lexington in 1775, a fine Civil War forage cap identical to that worn by Dover veteran Edwin Gay, a World War I campaign hat and a suitably crumpled World War II pilot’s “crusher cap” contrasting with a smart woman’s Red Cross summer headgear.

By Stuart Swiny