Welcome to the Heritage & Culture Center!
Home of the Owen County Heritage Museum
and
the Carnegie Coffee Shoppe & Gift Shop
110 East Market Street
P.O. Box 676
Spencer, Indiana 47460
Open Fridays 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
We are also open by appointment; contact Vic Kinney to schedule a visit.
The Owen County Heritage & Culture Center is a nonprofit organization housed in the historic Spencer Carnegie Library building. We provide a museum with a variety of displays showcasing the heritage and history of Owen County, and a reference/research library collection and reading area. We also offer a coffee shoppe with homemade baked goods, tea, coffee, and hot chocolate, and a gift shop that features a variety of unique and locally-made items, as well as books by local authors (proceeds from coffee/gift shop sales benefit the upkeep of the museum and the building). All of this is in a down-home, relaxed atmosphere, housed in the warm, historic charm of the old library building. No admission fee. Come visit us soon!
Meetings
Meeting schedule will be announced in the spring.
Our Vision
The Craftsman style Carnegie Library Building was built in 1911 on the Spencer Town square and opened in January 1912. It served as a community library for over 85 years. Document storage for Owen County was to be its use for the next several years.
In 2005, the Owen County Heritage & Culture Center Committee was formed by a group of community leaders with the vision for a county-wide center to celebrate the past, present and future of Owen County.
Visit the Owen County Heritage & Culture Center to learn about Owen County's history and enjoy the warm, historic charm of the Old Spencer Carnegie Library Building!
See a variety of exhibits in the museum showcasing the history of Owen County, browse the reference/research collection in the reading area,
visit in the coffee shoppe and enjoy baked goods, and check out the gift shop which has local history books and books by local authors.
Our regular open hours are Fridays from 9 AM to 1 PM. Admission is free. The museum is also open by appointment.
We will have an open house on Saturday, September 20th, from 10 AM to 3 PM during the Apple Butter Festival and we will have apple-themed baked goods!
Our Mission
The Owen County Heritage & Culture Center strives to bring together the community through the promotion and sharing of our Owen County heritage and culture to enrich our everyday lives. We promote preservation of our artifacts, traditions, arts, crafts, customs and history through workshops, festivals, demonstrations, displays and educational programs.
Join Us!
We need you!! This is a total community project that calls for many hands, ideas, and skills.
If you or your group are interested in helping with this project through
volunteer work and/or funding, or would like more information about available programs,
please email one of the officers listed below or write to us
at P.O. Box 676, Spencer, IN 47460.
Thank You!
Contact Us
President and Museum Curator:
Vic Kinney
vickinney70@gmail.com
Vice President and Gift Shop:
Madi Arnett
madi1943@comcast.net
Acting Secretary:
Bonnie Tinsley
a.tinsley379@comcast.net
Treasurer:
Al Tinsley
a.tinsley379@comcast.net
Webmaster:
Barbara Filtri
webmaster@owencountyindhistory.org