Matheson History Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1994 |
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| Location | 513 East University Avenue, Gainesville, Florida |
| Type | History |
The Matheson History Museum Complex is a cool place to learn about history in Gainesville, Florida. It includes the Matheson History Museum, the Matheson Library & Archives, the old 1867 Matheson House, and the Tison Tool Barn. It's a great spot to explore the past!
Contents
Exploring the Museum Complex
Matheson History Museum: Main Building
The Matheson History Museum building used to be a meeting hall before it opened as a museum in 1994. This is where you'll find most of the museum's exhibits and activities. At the front, there's a gift shop and a fun display that looks like the old Matheson Dry Goods Store. This store used to be on University Avenue a long time ago.
In 2015, a special exhibit was added: a canoe from the Timucua Native American tribe. The Timucua people lived in North Central Florida. A local resident, Bill Cason, found the canoe in 2011 when water levels were low at Trout Pond. He knew it was important and called the museum. The museum worked with the Florida Museum of Natural History to carefully get and preserve the canoe. The display case for the canoe has a beautiful painting by Stacy Breheny that shows what Timucuan life was like.
The main gallery has a permanent exhibit about local and Florida history. The rest of the space is used for temporary exhibits that change often. In the back, the Mary Ann Cofrin Exhibit Hall shows even more temporary displays.
The 1867 Matheson House: A Historic Home
The Matheson House was built in 1867 by the Matheson family, who the museum is named after. It's one of the oldest houses in Gainesville! James Douglas Matheson and his wife, Augusta Florida Steele Matheson, lived here. Augusta's father, Augustus Steele, was a Florida pioneer who founded Hillsborough County.
Their son, Christopher Matheson, was Gainesville's mayor for a very long time. His wife, Sarah Hamilton Matheson, first gave the house to the Alachua County Historical Society. She was a founder of both the society and the museum. The house now holds original furniture, art, and items from Florida's antebellum and Victorian times.
Tison Tool Barn: Tools from the Past
The Tison Tool Barn was first built between 1992 and 1993 by John Mason Tison Jr. When he donated it to the museum in 1998, it had to be taken apart. The pieces were then moved and put back together next to the Matheson House. A local builder, Geoffrey O’Meara, rebuilt it. There's a plaque that says, "The only barn raised twice!"
The barn has two floors. The main floor shows off tools that belonged to John Mason Tison Jr. or were given by the community. There are nearly 1200 tools in total! The second floor is used for storage.
Sweetwater Park: A Place to Relax
Sweetwater Park is right behind the museum. The Matheson History Museum and the City of Gainesville work together to take care of it. It's free and open for everyone to enjoy.
Matheson Library and Archives: Learning More
The museum bought this building in 2014. It was built in 1933 as a church. Later, from 1982 to 2009, it was a Melting Pot fondue restaurant. It was one of the first Melting Pot restaurants in the country!
The Matheson History Museum received a grant and donations to turn the building into a library and archives. This project was finished in 2017. The Matheson Library & Archives now holds the museum's collections. These include local and Florida items, books, and files with pictures and information on many topics about Florida's history.
See also
