Barbara Sumwalt Museum Celebrates 25th Anniversary - Thoughts and Pictures by UseppaGin - Twenty-five years ago, its doors opened for the first time. Resident Barbara Sumwalt and the Island Historical Society created a museum to celebrate Useppa’s history. That legacy continues and on Friday, March 25th over $200,000 was raised to bring that past into the twenty-first century. Bids at a live auction and a matching gift challenge by Tim and Judith Sear will make it happen. The Silver Jubilee also honored two women; Mary Bacon, an integral part of day-to-day operations for twenty years, and Board Member Judith Sear an advisor and coach on the best ways to update older exhibits to incorporate interactive elements into displays.