Harmon P. Elliott, a winter resident of Stuart, built the Elliott Museum in 1960 to honor his father, Sterling Elliott, a prolific, creative, successful inventor from the turn of the century. Harmon and Sterling Elliott have 220 patents between them.
Today, the Elliott Museum honors the memories of both father and son and displays a wealth of collectibles, vintage automobiles and American antiques.
Permanent Exhibits Include:
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Automobile Gallery:
The collection in this gallery includes Sterling Elliott’s first car, the 1909 Hupmobile, and the 1936 Austin he carried aboard his yacht when in Florida.
Note the 1903 Cadillac, the oldest documented in the US, a 1932 Stutz and a collection of antique motorcycles including the 1911 and 1915 Harley-Davidsons, and newly acquired 1957 Chevy Bel-Aire Convertible, just to name a few.
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The Elliott Museum Vehicle Inventory includes:
Automobiles
1. 1902 Stanley Steamer
2. 1903 Cadillac Roadster
3. 1905 Oldsmobile Curved Dash/Runabout
4. 1905 REO Roadster
5. 1907 Maxwell Touring Car
6. 1909 Ford Model “T” Touring Car
7. 1909 Hupmobile Speedster
8. 1910 Moline “M” Touring Car
9. 1914 Detroit Electric
10. 1914 Packard Touring Car
11. 1915 Ford Model “T” Fire Chiefs Truck
12. 1920 Hudson 4 door
13. 1922 Ford Model “T” Truck
14. 1922 Roamer
15. 1922 Star Station Wagon
16. 1923 Stutz Roadster
17. 1926 Bugatti T35 Grand Prix Racer
18. 1928 Chevrolet “AB” Coupe
19. 1930 Model “A” Ford
20. 1930 Lincoln Model “L”
21. 1936 Austin Nippi Racing Roadster
22. 1941 Lincoln Cabriolet
23. 1953 Briggs Cunningham Continental 2 door Convertible
24. 1954 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible
25. 1955 Ford Thunderbird Convertible
26. 1959 Mercedes 190SL Convertible
27. 1964 Chevrolet Corvair
28. 1966 Sunbeam Tiger
29. 1968 Corvette
30. 1975 Citicar
31. 1984 Fiero
32. 1957 Chevy Bel-Air Convertible
Motorcycles
1. 1904 Indian Motorcycle
2. 1907 Yale Motorcycle
3. 1911 Harley Davidson Motorcycle
4. 1915 Harley Davidson Motorcycle
5. 1919 Sun Single Motorcycle
6. 1923 Ner-A-Car Motorcycle
7. 1953 Indian “Warrior” Motorcycle
General Store
At the turn of the century, in rural areas of the United States, you would likely find a general store or Country Store that tried to stock food, clothing, household utensils & some tools that rural residents would need until they could take the annual visit to a larger shopping area. It was not uncommon to find the area Post Office in a corner, as this building was one place area residents would frequent on a regular basis. The creaky wooden floor and pot-bellied stove recall an era of small town life.
Martin County History As you leave the Country Store, you enter an exhibit area devoted to the pioneers and history of Martin County. The exhibit features maps and artifacts from Martin County’s earliest beginnings. Explorer and “aero plane” pilot Hugh Willoughby is honored here as one of the early surveyors of Florida’s Everglades.
1917 Parlor
On your right, as you leave the Martin County History exhibit, is an excellent recreation of a turn-of-the-century parlor. Whether in Florida or another part of the United States, the parlor was considered one of the rooms in your house that was used only when entertaining guests. Normally, music would be played and tea with cakes would be served on your finest china. A true parlor would have stuffed birds, portraits of family, pieces of bric-a-brac and live plants.
1928 Dining Room
The setting is one year before the beginning of the Great Depression, a time in American history when the economy was at its worst. Our dining room depicts
an opulent lifestyle enjoyed by the wealthy of our society at the end of the “roaring twenties.” The furniture once belonged to the silent movie actor “Fatty” Arbuckle and was later purchased by museum founder, Harmon Elliott, for use in his own home.
Auerbach Dining Room
This is a traditional Jewish Dining Room from the late 1930’s. Oscar Kanarak was one of the first Jewish merchants in Stuart when he established the Stuart Department Store in 1938. The Kanarak family and the Auerbach family have graciously donated many of the items in the dining room.
Baseball Memorabilia
This is one of the finest collections of signed Baseball Hall of Fame memorabilia outside of Cooperstown. At one time, the Elliott Museum had a piece of autographed memorabilia from every player in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Approximately 95% of this large collection is on display at any one time.
1943 Kitchen
World War II wasn’t just something that happened in Europe and the Pacific. American homemakers had to deal with having husbands and sons fighting in foreign countries and they had to cope with shortages, loneliness and a rapidly changing society. Our exhibit depicts a typical middle class kitchen with ration coupon books for precious items such as sugar, butter, tires and other rationed consumer products. This homemaker is a Civil Defense volunteer, trained to look out for enemy aircraft and submarines along the Florida Coast.
Seminole Exhibit
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The Seminole Indians came to Spanish Colonial Florida in the early 1700s to escape British oppression in the Carolinas. After several Seminole Wars with the new American Territorial Government in the 1830’s, the Seminoles were finally displaced to reservations, although they have never signed a peace treaty with the United States. Many Seminoles traveled the St. Lucie and Indian rivers to trade with settlers in the late 1800’s. (This exhibit travels to Tallahassee in July of 2007)
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Elliott Invention Room
The pass-through from the main gallery to the Automobile Gallery is where you will find some of the inventions and patents of the Elliott’s. In particular, notice the quadricycle, which has many features found on the modern automobile. As a matter of fact, the Elliott family lived across the street from the Stanley brothers and they used his inventions in perfecting the Stanley Steamer. Here too is the addressing machine that revolutionized how large companies address envelopes.
The Soda Shop
This was a local gathering place where the “soda jerk” made up specialty desserts and soda drinks by adding “fizzy” water and sugared and flavored syrups. Every child and teenager looked forward to a trip to the soda shop for special treats that could not be made at home. Ice cream was a “new” treat that could be made at home with a hand-cranked freezer. Fresh milk, sugar and fruits were mixed into frozen goodies.
The Apothecary
This is the old English word for “drugstore”. Walgreens and CVS didn’t exist In the 19th century and the pharmacist had to make all of the prescriptions by hand. The bottles and jars contained all of the chemicals needed to make up the right medicines for your illness. Pills were rolled in molds and cut to the right size depending on the dosage.
The Elliott Bicycle Shop
Bicycles were big business, both as transportation and as recreation at the turn of the 19th century. Sterling Elliott was a bicycle builder in Massachusetts who eventually used his engineering skills to invent automobile steering mechanisms. His patent on the “kingpin” made him a wealthy man and led to other inventions. The oak bicycles are from the Elliott Bicycle Company.
The Barber Shop
In small town America from colonial days until the early 1900s, the barber could also serve as the dentist and could perform minor surgeries. This barber has a special day for children’s haircuts. Note that he only pulls teeth on Fridays.
Music Room
This exhibit features music boxes, early phonographs and other instruments that older generations would have used for entertainment prior to the invention of the radio or television. Among the most popular was a little gem roller organ sold by the Sears Company for $3.50.
Langford Exhibit
This walk through exhibit features photographs, memorabilia and clothing from the estate of Frances Langford— film actress, singer and local resident .
