Church Farmhouse Museum facts for kids
The Church Farmhouse Museum was once a special museum located in Hendon, north London. It was housed in a very old farmhouse from the 1600s. This building is considered a Grade II* listed building, which means it's very important and protected. It was also the oldest house still standing in Hendon!
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Exploring the Old Farmhouse Museum
The museum offered a peek into the past. Inside, you could find rooms set up to look just like they did long ago. There was a kitchen and a scullery (a small room for washing dishes) from a different time. The museum also had two areas for showing different exhibitions. Outside, there was a big garden with a pond, perfect for exploring.
What Did the Building Look Like?
The farmhouse itself was made of red bricks and had two floors. It featured three pointed gables (the triangular parts of a wall under a sloping roof) and chimneys placed right in the middle. This style was very common for houses built in Middlesex during the 17th century. It's a great example of old, local building styles.
Famous People Connected to the House
A special blue plaque on the house tells us that Mark Lemon lived there as a child. He was an important person who helped start the famous magazine Punch. Mark Lemon lived in the house between 1817 and 1823. He even wrote about his childhood memories in the area in his book Tom Moody’s Tales. The house was also owned by the Kempe family for many years, from 1688 to 1780. Later, the Dunlop family owned it from 1869 to 1945.
Why Did the Museum Close?
In 2010, the local council, Barnet Council, decided to stop giving money to the Church Farmhouse Museum. They also stopped funding Barnet Museum. This decision was made to save money. Many local people were not happy about this.
Public Opinion and Petitions
There was a short time for people to share their thoughts about the closure. Many people were against it. Two large petitions were created, with about 1,900 and 1,000 signatures each. These petitions showed how much the community wanted the museum to stay open. However, the council still decided to go ahead with the plan.
The Final Days of the Museum
The museum officially closed on March 31, 2011. Before it closed, its last special exhibition was about "Harry Beck and the London Tube Map." This exhibition ended a few days earlier, on March 27, 2011.
What Happened After the Closure?
After the museum closed, its collection of items was split up. Some pieces were moved to Barnet Museum. Other items from the collection were sold at an auction.
The Building Today
The old farmhouse building is now used by Middlesex University. The university took over the building in 2016 and carefully restored it. Today, it houses the Centre for Abuse and Trauma Studies and the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre.
Images for kids
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Church Farmhouse Museum from Greyhound Hill
