THE 1884 SUITER MUSEUM BUILDING
A Queen Anne style building located at 400 North Main Street in Herkimer. This building was a legacy to the Herkimer County Historical Society in 1925 by Dr. A. Walter Suiter, a prominent citizen and physician. It was named in memory of Dr. Suiter’s father, Col. James A. Suiter, a noted Civil War veteran.
The massive doors which Dr. Suiter ordered for the entrance to his mansion were built of mahogany. The griffin is one of two which grace the ornately carved front doors. The interior architectural elements are fashionable for the 1880’s and include decorative hinges, burl veneer door panels and rectilinear banisters and newel posts with incised decoration.
One room in the Suiter building depicts Dr. Suiter’s library with his record books, round oak table and other artifacts that would have been in a library in 1884. The style of the library is Eastlake with a beautiful tiled fireplace with etchings of Greek gods and goddesses with a mahogany mantel. An interesting fact is that the house was never lived in. It was used by Dr. Suiter as his doctor’s office, waiting room and his library. Housed in this building is a free exhibit designed to be self-guided or you can ask for a guided tour.
THE 1870 ECKLER HOUSE
The 1870 Eckler House is Italianate in style and is located adjacent to the Suiter building. This is where the Society’s offices are located as well as our Resource Center/Library and Gift Shop. This building was named after the Eckler family who were major contributors to our capital campaign project when we purchased and refurbished it in the late 1980s.
Snell Cabinet
A nice feature in the building is the Snell cabinet showcasing a variety of artifacts from the Society’s collection. Currently there is a display featuring the findings from an archaeological dig we conducted in 2015 on our property searching for any remnants of Fort Dayton. What we did find was an old well that dates back to the early 1800s. There was a treasure trove found inside that well such as; medical instruments, pharmaceutical bottles, many intact and some with the medicine still in them, a pristine jug and unique liquid soap dispenser – all dating to the late 1800s and early 1900s. Around the property we discovered pipe stems with a few dating to the late 1700s.