Art & History Museums, Maitland
With unique architecture, beautiful gardens, quality exhibits and programming, and with two sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Art and History Museums, Maitland (A&H) formed in May 2010 with the merger of the Maitland Art Center and the Maitland Historical Society, together provide unparallel offerings to the community as a single entity. With a combined 80 years of service, these facilities are at the very core of Maitland’s sense of place.
The largest and oldest of the two merged entities is the Maitland Art Center, formerly known as the Research Studio, founded in 1937 by visionary artist and architect J. André Smith (1880-1959), and benefitted from the generous financial support of philanthropist Mary Curtis Bok. MAC was a lively colony that hosted artists of national prominence, including Milton Avery, Ralston Crawford, Doris Lee and many others. In 1969, the City of Maitland acquired the MAC whose buildings are an example of “Mayan Revival” architecture, one of the few in the Southeastern U.S. MAC is home to a number of significant collections, including the artworks of its founder.
The second entity, formerly known as Maitland Historical Society originated in 1970 as a result of a Maitland’s Women’s Club initiative to preserve Maitland’s history that evolved into incorporation formerly known as the Maitland Historical Society. Early members of the Society began collecting priceless stories and artifacts from local pioneer families and in 1977, the Maitland Historical Museum opened its doors. As the Society grew, it opened three additional museums to better serve its goal of bringing Florida history to life. The Society opened the Telephone Museum, a museum detailing telephone technology through the years, in 1982. In 1992 the Society’s greatest treasure opened to the public. The Waterhouse Residence Museum is an impressive example of Florida living in the Victorian period. In 1994, the Society added the Carpentry Shop Museum as a supporting piece to the home and a hands-on antique tool museum.
