Current Exhibits at 610 Ship Street

The Heath Company

An idea that captured the minds of millions. Founded as an aircraft manufacturer in the early 1900s, the Heath Company ultimately found success with their Heathkits – DIY electronics with very clear instructions that the average person could successfully follow. Learn about the history and evolution of the internationally-recognized electronics kit manufacturer that was headquartered in the St. Joseph/Benton Harbor area for more than fifty years.

The Big Three: Boat and Shipbuilding in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph

This exhibit tells the story of the boat-building industry in the twin cities, comprised of Robinson Marine Construction, Truscott Boat Manufacturing Company, and Dachel-Carter Shipbuilding. These companies produced a number of pleasure boats as well as Navy war boats. An original 1897 Truscott boat as well as other marine artifacts are on display.

Previous Exhibits

Faces of Southwest Michigan: Blossomtime This digital, crowd-sourced public history exhibit combined images and stories contributed by community members with others from our Archives.

The Venetian Festival Collection This exhibit showcased the 33-year history of St. Joseph’s annual festival along the river and featured items donated by the Venetian Festival Committee.

Lakeside Visions This display shared various interpretations for how to develop our beautiful lakefront.

The China Collection This exhibit showcased vintage items rediscovered in The Heritage’s Archives.

Miss Blossomtime Miss Blossomtime was one of the carousel horses that were St. Joseph’s first public art display in 2004.

First Methodist Church Stained Glass This breath-taking work of art was salvaged from St. Joseph’s 101-year-old First Methodist Church that was located at the corner of Main Street and Broad Street. The lower portion of the window was painstakingly restored by local a local artist thanks to a very generous donation to The Heritage.

Lighthouse Experience Featuring the history of the St. Joseph lighthouses, this display also included a digitally remastered recording of St. Joseph’s Diaphone Foghorn.

City Cemetery Mausoleum Doors Originally part of St. Joseph’s city cemetery mausoleum when it was built in 1913, over time the structure fell into disrepair. In 1992, the City of St. Joseph donated the doors to the Fort Miami Heritage Society (now known as The Heritage). The Fort Miami Heritage Society kept the doors at the Landmark Center, until a fire destroyed the Landmark Center in 1994. The doors survived the fire, and were restored thanks to the efforts of Burnett’s Traders.

The Richard Haas Historical Murals These beautiful works of art are a great starting point in exploring Southwest Michigan’s history. The two murals, one focused on industry and commerce and the other on resorts and recreation, depict Native Americans from the Miami nation, La Salle, Fort Miami, Father Marquette, the fur trade, the fruit market, R. Wilcox & Co. fruit packages, the lifesaving station, the old Berrien County Courthouse, shipyards, the outer harbor railroad bridge, the St. Joseph North Pier Inner and Outer Lights, the 1900 Washer Company, Cooper Wells Building, Augustus Herring’s powered flight at Sliver Beach, Lake Front Park circa 1900, Blossom Parade circa 1910, the Firemen’s Memorial, Hotel Whitcomb circa 1900, Eastman Springs Park and miniature train, the House of David Park and Baseball Team, Truscott Boat, the Liberty Theatre (site of the first talking picture in Michigan), Brother Benjamin, Morton House in Benton Harbor, bathers at Silver Beach, Hotel St. Joseph circa 1890, and the Silver Beach roller coaster and amusement park.

Faces of Southwest Michigan: Winter Wonderland This crowd-sourced digital exhibit combined images and stories contributed by community members with others from our Archives that fit the wintery theme.

The Past is Prologue The Past is Prologue took a moment to reflect on previous major exhibits at The Heritage, to include community favorites such as The Fruit Belt, Shared Waters, Working Waterfronts, and many, many more.

Lighthouse Tours and Exhibition on the North Pier For many years, The Heritage Museum hosted Lighthouse Tours and an exhibit at the North Pier Inner Light.

Fatal Crossing: Mysterious Disappearance of NWA Flight 2501 and the Quest for Answers: This exhibit showcased Northwest Airlines Flight 2501 that mysteriously disappeared in the waters off St. Joseph, Michigan in 1950 with all 58 souls on board. It was America’s worst aviation disaster at the time.

An Artist at the Water’s Edge This exhibit showcased the life and artwork of artist, author, and WWII veteran Alexander Burns Cook. A resident of St. Joseph from childhood through his mid-twenties, Cook’s experiences on the St. Joseph River and Lake Michigan are reflected throughout his artwork. His cartoons and murals often show the maritime scenes that St. Joseph residents are familiar with today, while his personal artifacts offer a glimpse into the life of a St. Joseph local in the ’30s and ’40s. This visiting exhibit was produced by the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Fresnel Lenses The historical 4th and 5th Order Fresnel lenses from our St. Joseph lighthouses were restored, reunited, and displayed at the Heritage Museum. Fresnel lenses dramatically improved maritime safety and saved countless lives. Before their invention, lights were equipped with several oil lamps and mirrored reflectors. Invented in 1822 by French physicist Augustin Fresnel, these new lenses projected light nearly 20 miles across the horizon. St. Joseph is the only community in Michigan to have preserved two of its own Fresnel lenses.  The United States Coast Guard removed one of the historic lenses in 2003 and the other in 2012, replacing them with solar-powered, modern optics. These lenses are now on display at the offices of St. Joe Today.