WHAT/WHERE – The Millcroft Gallery operates independently and has regular hour on Wednesday through Saturday from noon until 5 open to the public. The space can also be rented for private events holding up to 125 seated. Outside caterers are welcome or the distillery catering office can also provide a full event food and wine program. Live entertainment is also easily accommodated in this space. Regular open hours are Wednesday through Friday noon until 5pm and Saturday 11:00am until 4pm or by appointment.

​

HISTORY – Part of the museum exhibit is the Kugler Mansion itself. What you see here is exactly as it would have appeared shortly after the original construction was complete. You’ll notice the roofing material is shake cedar. Wood and slate shingles and clay tiles were the predominant roofing choice until the mid-19th century. The colonial roof started with a log nearly three feet long. Wood slices about a ½” thick were split off with a froe and mallet. The bark was trimmed and one end was tapered with a draw knife on a “shaving horse”. The extreme length of early shingles came about because horizontal wood strips or purlins applied to the roof rafters for thatching were widely spaced and the length allowed three overlapping courses requiring half the nails or two shingles for the nails of one. A significant factor at that time was hand-wrought nails were more costly than the shingles themselves. The original roofing material, extremely weathered is still on the building. All subsequent roofing work has been completed on top.

​

CONSTRUCTION – The doors on the slide tracks leading into the gallery were also reclaimed during demolition with the one on the right coming from the first-floor parlor and the large one was found in the attic. It is still a mystery as to where that door was used in the complex, it did not match dimensions with any of the openings found in the site. The heavy glass laden doors on the slide tracks were on the exterior of the Water Street entrance enclosing the vestibule. They were carefully restored by Riverside Cabinetry here in Milford.

​

FUN FACT – There are times when gallery staff will not be present during programmed events but that does not stop you from making a purchase if you see art you like. Art here moves fast so to reserve a piece when staff is not present take a screen grab of this QR code to email the gallery manager or info@millcroftgallery.com and make sure you include which piece.