08/17/2026
🎶 A VERY SPECIAL DAY AT THE HARLOW HOUSE! 🎶
On Friday, August 14, THS welcomed 105-year-old Annie Ruth Bramhall and her niece, Carol Chapman, for an unforgettable visit!
Annie Ruth learned to play the organ inside the Harlow House, taught by Mabel Evans, who lived there with her husband Lee before the house became a museum.
A few months ago, Annie Ruth offered to donate that very organ back to the Harlow House! Then Carol called with more exciting news: they wanted to visit, and Annie Ruth had been practicing a new song just for us.
With THS board members gathered around, Annie Ruth sat at the organ and played a beautiful rendition of “Amazing Grace.” ❤️🎹
The Harlow House had not heard live music in nearly 50 years. Hearing it again, played by the woman who learned on that very organ, was truly unforgettable.
The history goes even deeper! Annie Ruth and Carol are descendants of Harry Bramhall, who built the Harlow House for Fred and Minnie Harlow in 1899–1900.
They also brought family photographs connected to Civil War veteran and local homesteader William Butler, photos THS had never had before, and donated a beautiful handmade quilt created by Sadie Butler-Bramhall in 1915! The quilt will go on display inside the Harlow House next month. 🧵🏡
Want to learn more about the fascinating Butler and Bramhall families? Watch for our upcoming issue of ByGone Times and join us this October for THS Presents: Streets, Structures & the Stories Behind Them!
An organ returned home. A 105-year-old musician. Nearly 50 years of silence broken by “Amazing Grace.”
Sometimes history doesn’t just come alive, it comes home. ❤️🎶
