NASHVILLE – The Berrien Historical Foundation has just introduced its new promotion, “Best Little Museum in Georgia.”

Bryan Shaw, curator of the Berrien Historical Museum and Archive, said the home-grown designation is based on comments made by the Georgia Humanities and the Smithsonian Main Street Exhibits representatives, as well as most visitors who view the museum for the first time — “This is the best small town museum we have ever seen.”

“Certainly, there are museums in larger towns and metropolitan cities that offer larger and more impressive exhibits,” Shaw said. “But visitors from those communities who have viewed our exhibits say this museum may be the ‘Best Little Museum in Georgia.'”

Attention to the quality of the exhibits was created back in 2013 when Nashville was selected as a host community of the Smithsonian Institution’s Main Street traveling exhibit, “New Harmonies — Roots Music,” museum representatives said in a statement. The traveling exhibits are awarded only to communities of less than 20,000 population.

The Georgia Humanities and the Smithsonian Institution representatives were so impressed with the museum’s local presentation on that music theme, they awarded Nashville the next Smithsonian exhibit, “Hometown Teams – How Sports Shaped America” in 2016.

This attention and response to the quality of the museum has prompted the Berrien County Commission, the Berrien County Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Main Street Program, to put more emphasis on promoting the community asset, museum representatives said.

Commissioners and the chamber have been seeking ways the Old Courthouse on the Square may be better preserved, and its use enhanced with better interior lighting and archival climate control.

“Even though I am pleased when I hear how impressed our visitors are when they see our exhibits,” Shaw said, “the comments that give me the greatest pleasure and hope for the future of the museum, is when residents of Nashville and Berrien County say, ‘I had no idea we have this quality of museum in little old Nashville.'”

The Historical Museum and Archive is open, free of charge, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. Other weekday hours or weekend visits are possible by appointment with Bryan Shaw, (229) 563-0586. Family History Assistance is also available free of charge at the museum.