History on display in Canton

For decades, the historian’s office had been located in one office on the second floor of Canton’s municipal building, 60 Main St.

The new space boasts five rooms, including an impressive display area in a former storefront filled with artifacts from Canton’s past.

“It’s a dream for me,” Ms. Casserly said. “But it is all for the community. They will have a legacy.”

In addition to the display area, the space has a library, which Ms. Casserly has dubbed Rachael’s Library for Rachael Towne, her assistant. There is a research room named for Renice Bisnett, who organized the files. And there is a photo room with boxes of laminated photographs.

“That’s the people’s room,” Ms. Casserly said.

Visitors are free to go through the photos and can get copies, Ms. Casserly said.

Around 50 people explored the new space Tuesday, but they were not the first to visit.

“Foot traffic started before we even opened,” Ms. Casserly said.

Some of the display in the front room will be changed every two months, Ms. Casserly said.

“There are so many people who want to tell their stories,” she said.

Town Supervisor Mary Ann Ashley said she was very pleased with how the space turned out.

“It gives me goose bumps to be here,” she said.

Ms. Ashley displayed two poster boards with names and organizations that helped with the move.

“We couldn’t have done it without everyone believing in what we were doing,” she said. “This shows our history and displays our character.”

The new space is a piece of the puzzle in the town and village building a new municipal building, Ms. Ashley said.

The historian’s office is open to the public Mondays and Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.