CLINTON — Some collectors leave their precious possessions to their children. Others give them to museums or libraries. For his extensive collection of Russian icons and artifacts, Gordon B. Lankton built his own museum. In 2006, he took over an unused mill building near the green in this old factory town and turned it into the Museum of Russian Icons.
“I figure since I’m 81, I won’t be around too long,” Lankton says. “I don’t want [the collections] to end up somewhere else. I love Clinton.”
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Gordon Lankton is a Clinton icon himself, and the museum located on the town green is well worth the trip. Lankton's Nypro factory is behind the museum and occupies the old Bigelow Carpet factories, which introduced the power loom back when, and Erastus and Homer Bigelow occupied the house on the hill above the factory, now a rectory for St. John's.. Around the corner off the green is the Holder Museum which has a loom and much New England history inside, including Civil War letters and memorabilia (definitely open Saturday AMs). US Sen. David I Walsh lived on corner of Chestnut and Water St, President Roosevelt drove by on his way to Groton, Truman at the train depot, and of course Pres Carter slept in a home on Chestnut. Dine on High St and head home, there, I've planned your weekend.
...I forgot to mention the impressive Wachusett Dam down the hill from the museum, a conduit for Boston's H20; and all the orchards in the area in Lancaster (Bullfinch architect of church on green), Sterling and Bolton. There is life outside 128, honest!