Village of Lewiston: Historical room invites visitors

“There’s a lot of history, if people will just take the time to look,” Russell H. Piper Jr. said Sunday.

He was speaking of the rare treasures room he created three years ago on the Red Brick Municipal Building’s second floor. The impressive collection of historical items – some dating back more than 200 years – is available for viewing from noon until 3 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays, and by appointment.

Newer items include pieces from the Oak Hill Estate. Piper said the Niagara Street stone mansion was created by the Scovell family.

Though the room has more than 5,000 pieces, Piper can provide a backstory on each item.

At the October municipal board meeting, Village of Lewiston Mayor Anne Welch told a group of Lewiston students, “It would be so worth your while to take a walk down to the end of the hall to see our historian’s room down there. They have so much history of the village and the area in that room that you would be amazed. It’s really very interesting. … It’s really worth your while to go and see the history in Lewiston.”

Some of Piper’s pieces line the hallway, while others are hanging in Welch’s office.

Piper is shown holding a piece of art created by Betty Phippen.

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