Varnado Store Museum

The D A Varnado Store Museum is housed in a two-story brick building that has stood on the corner of Pearl and Cleveland Streets in downtown Franklinton, Louisiana, since 1908. Although the building had several owners over the past century, its store was in continuous operation until it closed for good in the 1980’s. 

the closed varnado store becomes a town museum

In the 1990’s, a group of locals raised money to purchase the old D A Varnado general store and turn it into a museum. Museum Director Terry Seal explained, “We thought the architecture was lovely.  It was something that was worth saving.”  And the old building became the logical place to preserve the history of Franklinton.

a history lesson on the store shelves

The Museum still has many of the furnishings from its days as a general merchandise store.  The store’s old display counters still hold unsold merchandise and donated items from the community.  Under one of the counters you see the restored wooden bins that held seeds, beans and other dried food items.  The original scales for weighing items sit on top of the counter.  “They would scoop out of these drawers and put it in the bag and put it on the old scales,” Seal explains. 

not a touch phone

Seal and other museum volunteers give tours to visitors and school children.  Older folks likely remember much of the merchandise on display.  But for school kids, Seal says it’s surprising what some haven’t seen before, like a rotary dial telephone.  “One of the children was poking their finger into the holes thinking that’s the way you activated the phone,” Seal recalls.    “They thought it was a push button,” Seal explained.  She says the children were “amazed” when she showed how you dialed numbers on the old telephone.

quilts featured in varnado store museum

The museum has rotating displays, and during the months of January and February, the focus is on local quilts.  The museum has a couple of quilts that date back more than a century.  Dozens of quilts, some traditional styles, and other more colorful and contemporary, are displayed throughout the museum.  Volunteer Jackie Smith points out different quilt designs, and notes that the older styles, “they had to have ‘em for warmth.”  She adds that often the newer quilts are created “because it’s an art.”

all hand-stitched

Several of the quilts on display in the museum were created by Becky Creel, a serious quilter who lives in Franklinton.  “I don’t machine quilt,” Creel tells me, “I just hand quilt.”  Creel has a chest in her dining room that is full of folded quilts that she has stitched over the decades.  She demonstrates how she uses needle and thread to stitch a quilt.  “I actually stick my finger.  Hopefully not enough to bring blood,” Creel says.    She explains that sticking here finger on every stitch lets here know that the needle and thread have gone through every layer of the quilt, so she doesn’t miss a stitch.  “So I have the top fabric, the batting, and the backing hooked together, and then I pivot back up,” Creel says.  Her fingertips are calloused from years of hand-stitching and sticking herself with the needle. 

You can view the large display of quilts during January and February, 2024 at the D A Varnado Store Museum in downtown Franklinton, Louisiana.  The museum is open on Saturdays from 10am – 4pm, and on Sundays from 1pm – 4pm.  The museum is located at 936 Pearl Street in Franklinton.  Phone: (985) 795-0680.

936 Pearl St, Franklinton, LA 70438