Spellman Museum of Forney History: A Local Treasure

Nestled in historic downtown Forney, the Spellman Museum of Forney History has welcomed visitors since its founding in 2001. It’s run by the Forney Historic Preservation League (FHPL), a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving the city’s heritage. The museum owes its existence to longtime Forney resident Mick Spellman, who donated family artifacts – from everyday household items to World War II memorabilia – plus works by his sister Coreen (a noted artist) to seed the collection. Over two decades, the FHPL has renovated historic downtown buildings (at 200–202 S. Bois d’Arc St.) into exhibit halls, ensuring the Spellman Museum can tell Forney’s story in its original setting. Today, the museum is free to the public – admission and programs are funded entirely by donations, memberships and grants – so that all generations can explore Forney’s past.

Inside the Museum: Exhibits & Collections

Step inside and you’ll find that the Spellman Museum is hands-on history for all ages. As one Forney Chronicle article enthused, the museum is “surprisingly hands-on,” with vintage school desks, an old fire engine, and even a mock jail cell that kids love to pretend they’re locked in forneychronicle.com. The main gallery is arranged chronologically, guiding visitors through Kaufman County’s story: displays cover Native American artifacts, early settlers and farms, the railroad’s arrival, and life through the Great Depression and mid-20th century. Photos, murals and artifacts – from prairie farming tools to 1940s cotton-ginning machines – bring these eras to life. Exhibits also highlight wildlife, schools, and local industries: for example, recent rotating displays have featured Forney ISD history, complete with memorabilia from the old Henderson Elementary and Forney High School sports.

The museum’s collections extend beyond fossils and factories. One gallery showcases regional art and everyday life: lithograph prints and watercolors by Coreen Spellman (donated by her brother Mick) hang on the walls, and historical photos fill the digital archive. Case after case displays period clothing, household items, Native American artifacts, and even cowboy and railroad artifacts – all shining a light on Forney’s roots. Interactive touch-screens and hands-on elements invite young visitors to “play historian,” while researchers can make an appointment to dig into archives on most Fridays. Best of all, everything is free (donations welcome), thanks to the museum’s endowment and community funding.

Community & Education

The Spellman Museum is more than static exhibits – it’s a hub for local history. Staff and volunteers assist patrons with genealogy and historical research by appointment, helping families trace their roots in Kaufman County. The museum also partners on community events: for instance, it serves as a ticket outlet for downtown’s annual Historic Homes Tour forneychronicle.com, and its meeting rooms host FHPL board meetings and public programs. In the school year, Spellman Museum often collaborates with Forney ISD: classes visit to see primary-source artifacts, and special student-curated exhibits have appeared (celebrating, say, Forney High football and cheer history). Holiday tours and local history lectures sometimes spill into the museum’s space, keeping it tied closely to Forney life. As one community guide put it, visiting Spellman is a perfect “screen-free” outing that’s “air-conditioned, and even kinda cool for grownups who like old maps and stories about ‘the way Forney used to be.’” forneychronicle.com

Support the Museum

The Spellman Museum operates with a lean staff and relies on community support. Here are ways Forney residents keep it going:

• Donate: All financial gifts – large or small – help preserve Forney’s heritage. Donations support free admission, education programs, and artifact care historicforney.org. You can give a one-time gift or add to the museum’s sponsorship board (names of donors are displayed in the lobby). Even a $25 donation earns a spot on the board as a “Friend”, and an endowment fund ensures future generations can always enjoy the museum.
• Become a Member: Joining the Forney Historic Preservation League ($25 Individual/Couple, $50 Business annually) directly funds museum operations historicforney.org. Members get a vote at the league’s annual meeting, invitations to member dinners, and the satisfaction of protecting local history. (Membership dues help “preserve artifacts, expand exhibits, and keep admission free for all visitors”.)
• Volunteer: With only a few staff on site, volunteers are vital. Docents and helpers assist with scanning old photos, cataloging collections, staffing the front desk, and guiding tours. As the museum notes, it “often relies on volunteers” for projects big and small. If you have an hour to spare (or more), the museum welcomes your help in “making history” for Forney.
• Sponsor or Gift: Local businesses and philanthropists can contribute at higher tiers. Sponsorship levels start at $25 and offer benefits like special recognition. Crucially, the FHPL has built an operations and endowment fund so that Spellman can always stay free to the public=. Large gifts (or planned legacy donations) have previously enabled expansion of the museum into its current historic buildings and the creation of new exhibits=.

Joining in these ways not only aids the museum but keeps Forney’s story alive. As the Spellman Museum likes to say, “Every member makes a difference” in celebrating our local heritage.