Belton Museum Celebrates 50th Annivsersary
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
The Belton Area Museum celebrated its 50th Anniversary on Sunday by honoring those people, groups and businesses who have contributed to the city’s growth and history.
Founded by concerned local citizens to preserve the rich local history, the museum’s mission encompasses genealogical, archival, cultural, and natural history, as well as the traditional, visual, and performing arts.
“Today we are celebrating 50 years of the history of the museum, as well as celebrating those businesses in Belton that have been here for 50 plus years. We have some that have actually been around for over 100 years now,” said Belton Area Museum Director Abigail Burden. “We’re also highlighting all the great things that have been going on here in Belton for 50 years.”
Burden said the museum started in 1975 at a time as people were starting to gear up for the bicentennial celebration in 1976.
“A lot of small towns were starting to realize that it was important to celebrate and preserve the history of their towns,” said Burden. “So a small group of people got together and decided that Belton needed to have its own museum, started collecting artifacts, and here we are today, 50 years later, still going strong.”
The museum, which was originally housed in the library, then city hall, eventually moved to the historic Belton Train Depot, built between 1908–1910, that once served 60 trains and trolleys, including daily service to Anderson. After being dormant for two decades following rail service cessation in the 1960s, the depot was renovated and rededicated in 2007 to house the museum.
The facility includes the Ruth Drake Museum (local history and genealogy), the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame (celebrating tennis champions with memorabilia and portraits), and the North End Exhibition Gallery (rotating exhibits). Interactive exhibits highlight agricultural, industrial, and railroad history. Special features like a robotic train conductor and artifacts such as a 1940’s Royal typewriter enhance the experience.
The museum has been recognized multiple times by the S.C. Federation of Museums and granted the Heritage Tourism Award from the S.C. Archives and History Department and annually hosts events such as Heritage Days at the Depot, Antique Show and Sale, and is part of the Belton Standpipe Heritage and Arts Festival.
Alison Darby, program director for the museum, said the facility continues to grow and attracts an increasing number of visitors each year.
“Now we're post-pandemic back up to our 10,000, 11,000, 12,000 for participants in our programs and activities and things like that,” said Darby. “We’ve grown in staff, we've grown in volunteers, we've grown in board members, we've grown in membership, and that makes for a very special 50th celebration.”
