New Exhibit to Debut at Herndon Depot Museum in March

This spring, visitors to the Herndon Depot Museum (717 Lynn Street) will be able to enjoy a new exhibit.

The Herndon Historical Society says that a telegraph exhibit is coming to the museum, replacing the current display.

There will be one complete telegraph machine included in the display that will sit on the desk in the bay window of the former station master’s room, according to Barbara Glakas, a historical society spokesperson.

Other aspects of the exhibit will feature antique telegraph parts, such as a telegraph key and a telegraph sounder. Visitors will also be able to learn how the code worked and try it out for themselves.

“People can type out a message on the computer key board and then they will be able to see the message on the monitor as well as hear the message being automatically tapped out in Morse code on the sounder,” Glakas said.

The updates will be revealed with a celebration on Sunday, March 1, which will include a model train show.

Herndon Historical Society member Adam Winsor is responsible for the new exhibit’s design, Glakas said.

With the exception of the Writing Herndon’s History event on Jan. 22, the museum will be closed for exhibit updates until the celebration. Glakas said that the closure is typical this time of year.

In the future, Glakas said the Herndon Historical Society hopes to team up with Historic Vienna and send messages back and forth, since the Town of Vienna wants to set up its very own telegraph exhibit.

Photo via Facebook/Herndon Historical Society