The museum has two new exhibits on loan; one is a collection of prehistoric Indian pottery “pot handles.”  These “pot handles” are shards of various containers used by Indians during the Mississippian stage, A.D. 800 to about A.D. 1500.  They were known as The Temple Mound Builders.

The other exhibit showcases Civil War artifacts, including mortar shells, a replica of an 1860 army revolver, a socket bayonet, combat boots and uniform, as well as other items.

During the latter stages of the war, Daphne was under siege by Union warships anchored offshore in front of what is now Bayside Academy property.  The property, then owned by Captain Billy Howard, was shelled numerous times, with several direct hits to his home.  The home still stands as part of the Academy.

In March of 1865, Union troops occupied the museum, then a community church, for one night while on the march to Fort Blakely.  Upon their departure, the building and its contents were left intact.  Both Union and Confederate soldiers are interred in the adjacent cemetery.

The museum is open to the public from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Fridays thru Sundays.  The museum, located in the old Daphne Methodist Church, 405 Dryer Avenue, was constructed in 1858 and houses many relics of the area’s past history. Admission is free and so is the history lesson!