Pontiac Museum was created and is maintained by the Pontiac Historical Society.  Museum curator, Mayfred Dods. Current officers are: Robert Wills, President,  Les Grant, Vice-President, Pearl McCleary, Secretary,  Peter Haughton, Treasurer.

The Shawville station of the PPJ Railroad, as it appeared in its heyday, as the mainstay of transportation up and down the Valley. 

Click to hear Tom Fishel's ode to the old steam trains; "Chuggin' the Rails".

In the early 70's, an Opportunities For Youth project was wrapping up its survey of personal Pontiac histories. It became known that the former PPJ Railway station in Shawville was being sold and dismantled. 

Shawville train station as it appeared in 1972, shortly before being moved. The tracks have since been removed, and the railbed is now the PPJ Cyclopark.

A committee was formed and local funds raised to buy the building, move it to its present location at the southwest corner of the Shawville Fair grounds, and establish a museum to display relics of early Pontiac County life. 

The Train Station, moved to its new location, renovated, remodeled and transformed into the Pontiac Museum

The museum is open for visitors during special events such as the Shawville Fair and regularly hosts field trips for school groups. The museum includes a turn of the century school room, a general store, agricultural engines, household appliances, clothing and other heritage items.

During this year's Shawville Fair, around 350 people visited the museum, viewing these and other sights, swapping tales of when they used such tools, attended such a school, shopped at such a store.

About a year ago, we noticed that the shingle roof, renewed at the time the museum was relocated, is badly worn out and must be re-covered before rain leaks in and damages the building or artifacts. We began to consider restoring some of the original roofline with the rebuilding of two dormers, which were removed when the baggage storage room was added to the (presently) north end, at the same time that the full gables were sloped back to the present 'cottage roof" style. To restore the old full gables would require extensive dismantling and rebuilding, and so would be prohibitively expensive at this time. It was decided that steel roofing would be too expensive, due to the extra cutting and waste involved in roofing around the dormers, as well as the cottage ends.  We decided to go back to asphalt shingles, in light of newer variegated shingles which simulate the look of wooden shingles. 

In this picture you can see, toward the right (north) end, the 'new' boards which mark the addition in the early 20th Century. The original vertical wall still exists inside, and can be a template for later restoration of the full gables at both ends.

Here's the new roof line. Starting on the east side, facing the Fairgrounds, with the new shingles now ready to shed rain from the museum artifacts within. 

This picture shows the new variegated shingles in place. Not only does the varying thickness have the look of wooden shingles, but they are made in such a way as to have added thickness, so, hopefully, to last longer. 

And this artistic rendering of how the museum will soon appear, with the shingles replaced, and the two dormers rebuilt.