Maldon Museum in the Park has a long and rich history: we celebrated our 100th birthday in 2022.
The museum was established in 1922 as ‘Maldon Borough Museum’ and set up premises in a room upstairs on the site of the original Maldon Fire Brigade on London Road.
In 1938 when the second London Road fire station was built, the museum collection was briefly moved into buildings owned by Maldon Borough Council on the High Street.
In 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War, the collection was put into storage in a shed next to the Maldon Borough Council offices on Market Hill. However, many original items were lost or damaged beyond repair.
Sometime after, Market Hill resident Mrs Catherine Backus discovered the remains and began rebuilding the collection. She formed the ‘Maldon District Museum Association’ with a group of like minded people.
In 1968 the association installed the remnants in some rooms above a shop named Mathews in the High Street. The museum remained at this location under the direction of Mrs Backus and began to grow in size and relevance to the town. The space, however, was becoming limited so the museum moved to new premises around 1990.
In 1996 the Park-keeper’s Lodge at the main gates of the Promenade Park on Mill Road became vacant and Maldon District Council consented to the association setting up the museum in the house. Built in 1915 as Promenade Lodge from a bequest by Colonel Thomas Cramphorn, six times Mayor of Chelmsford and a notable philanthropist for “such public improvements or for such hospital or educational purposes in the Borough of Maldon as the Town Council shall decide.”
The District Council maintains the building but the museum, run entirely by unpaid volunteers, pays all other expenses by raising money from visitor donations, specific grants and occasional fund-raising events.
The museum changed its charity status from Maldon District Museum Association to Maldon Museum in the Park in our pursuit for full Arts Council Accreditation.
Maldon Museum in the Park is governed by a board of trustees. The day-to-day running of the museum is conducted by a management committee who, like all of our front of house stewards, donate their time to maintain the running and existance of one of Maldon's local cultural landmarks.
Everyone associated with the running of the museum, from the trustees to the stewards, is an unpaid volunteer.
Maldon Museum in the Park is a registered charity, number 1185595.