The first person known to have lived in the area where the museum sits was Lydia Wing Hamilton Abbott in 1677.   The house was called Orchard House, and the Abbott family continued to live on the site until 1794 when Orchard House was sold.  The new owner dismantled it and added it to a house at 14/16 Grove Street where it remains.  J. K. Lilly III, later chairman of Eli Lilly & Co., bought the land in the 1960s, and decided to build a museum in honor of his father.  The museum is housed in several buildings, some of which are described below. 

The American History Museum, not shown, is a replica of The Temple, which is the fort where George Washing awarded the first Purple Heart.  The permanent galleries feature, for example,  American militaria as well as bird carvings by Elmer and Cleon Crowell.  Additional galleries are available for special exhibitions. 
 
Deborah & William Hillyard
Deborah & William Hillyard
Deborah & William Hillyard
Deborah & William Hillyard
Deborah & William Hillyard

Vacations -

Massachusetts - Cape Cod

Heritage Museum

1922 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Pall Mall Phaeton
1925 Franklin
Sport Runabout
1912 Oldsmobile Autocrat
From Left:  
1939 Crocker, TBA,
1936 Harley-Davidson
1937 Cord
812 Phaeton
1931 Model "T" Ford "driven" by William!
1930 Cadillac V16 Convertible
1930 Duesenberg built for Gary Cooper
The Automobile Museum
The Automobile Museum features a collection of old American cars.  The building is a reproduction of an existing round, stone Shaker barn that is located near Pittsfield, MA. 
The Grounds
From Left:
TBA, TBA,
1951 Indian Chief
The Flume Fountain leading to the pool in the Don Marvin Daylily Garden.  The daylilies had yet to bloom
Restored, the windmill is now electrically powered, and there are regular demonstrations of it grinding, though not, unfortunately, while we were there. 
The Carousel
Housed in the same building as the Art Museum,
Charles Looff built the carousel nearly 100 years ago. 
The Art Museum comprises, mainly, American Folk Art.  There are many portraits, hand carved figures that once stood outside cigar-stores, tavern and shops signs as well as examples of scrimshaw.  Unfortunately, the pictures, and most of the exhibits, are behind glass, so near impossible to photograph accurately. 
A general view
of the exhibits
The Windmill
The Art Museum
Built in 1800 in Orleans further up the Cape, the Old East Windmill was bought by Lilly in 1968.  The 32 mile move from Orleans took ten days. 
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