By Tosha Baker, Contributing Columnist

The Bluegrass Heritage Museum located on Main Street in Winchester gives visitors a glimpse into the past with its many historical objects that are collected, preserved and exhibited.

The structure began as a private residence in 1895. It was purchased by Dr. E.P. Guerrant in 1927 and established as the Guerrant Mission Clinic and Hospital. The clinic was transformed into the museum in 2000 after it was donated by the Guerrant foundation. The building has three floors; each one echoes its own piece of history.

When you’re climbing to the upper floors, the creaking stairs seem to echo back in time.

The first floor features smaller exhibits that showcase the history of the Winchester Fire Department, Schools of Clark County and artifacts from Lower Howards Creek. It also has a gift shop filled with various candies, books and trinkets.

The second floor consists of a military history room that honors those from Clark County who served in the American Revolutionary War and World War ll. It houses original uniforms and artifacts from that time period.

It also has a Bellsouth room that shows the history of the telephone on both the local and national level. The room consists of a switchboard, full-size phone booth and various pieces of telephone equipment that look alien compared to the cell phones of today.

The third floor may be scary to some while fascinating for others. Personally, it’s my favorite floor. When the museum was the Guerrant Clinic, the third floor was the operating room. It remains much the same today. The operating suite still features items such as a small operating table, medical tools on a cart and a real iron lung on display.

The Bluegrass Heritage Museum also offers lecture series on a wide variety of topics rich in history, as well as tours and special activities geared toward classroom curriculum to give students a truly hands-on experience with the past.

With its unique items and atmosphere, the museum offers a glimpse into a world before today, a world preceding cell phones and laptops, a world we may not have seen otherwise.