Bay Area Museum

Bay Area Museum
Established	1901
Location	Clear Lake Park
Type	Local history museum
Key holdings	Mementos of the U.S. space program
Founder	Maggie Plumb DeNike
President	Sharon Dillard

Last updated October 04, 2019

The Bay Area Museum is located in Clear Lake Park in Seabrook, Texas, US, part of the Clear Lake area, Bay Area Houston. The museum displays changing exhibits that reflect the history of the area, as well as conserving memorabilia from the Lunar Rendezvous festival, an annual celebration of the region's link to space exploration due to the presence of the Johnson Space Center.^[1]

Seabrook, Texas City in Texas, United States

Seabrook is a city in Harris County in the U.S. state of Texas, with some water surface area located within Chambers County. The population was 11,952 at the 2010 census. Several fish markets line the city's waterfront, while antique shops and bed and breakfast establishments are found in the city's downtown area. The city is home to several miles of trails, which connect multiple city parks to each other.

Clear Lake, or the Clear Lake Area, is a region in parts of Harris and Galveston County in Texas, United States. It is part of the Galveston Bay Area, which itself is a section of the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. The area is geographically characterized by the bodies of water in it and around it, including Clear Lake, Taylor Lake, Clear Creek, and Galveston Bay.

History

Originally located on the corners of Houston and Moody Streets in Webster, Texas, the building that is now home to the Bay Area Museum was erected by the Webster Presbyterian Church in 1901 as a replacement for its original sanctuary, which was destroyed by the 1900 Galveston hurricane. In 1936, the church added an annex that included a stage, meeting hall, and kitchen. For many years this was the only church in Webster, and the site of many community events.^[2]

Webster is a city in the U.S. state of Texas located in Harris County, within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 10,684 at the 2010 census.

The Great Galveston hurricane, known regionally as the Great Storm of 1900, was the deadliest natural disaster in United States history, one of the deadliest hurricanes to affect Canada, and the fourth-deadliest Atlantic hurricane overall. The hurricane left between 6,000 and 12,000 fatalities in the United States; the number most cited in official reports is 8,000. Most of these deaths occurred in and near Galveston, Texas, after storm surge inundated the coastline with 8 to 12 ft of water. In addition to the number killed, the storm destroyed about 7,000 buildings of all uses in Galveston, which included 3,636 destroyed homes; every dwelling in the city suffered some degree of damage. The hurricane left approximately 10,000 people in the city homeless, out of a total population of nearly 38,000. The disaster ended the Golden Era of Galveston, as the hurricane alarmed potential investors, who turned to Houston instead. In response to the storm, three engineers designed and oversaw plans to raise the Gulf of Mexico shoreline of Galveston island by 17 ft (5.2 m) and erect a 10 mi (16 km) seawall.

After Webster Presbyterian Church built more modern facilities, the old building fell into disrepair.^[3] In 1979, Maggie Plumb DeNike, founder of the Lunar Rendezvous festival and Chairman of the festival's board, appeared with Chamber of Commerce representatives and local attorneys before the Harris County Commission to request approval to move the historic church building to the park grounds. The building was purchased from the Webster Presbyterian Church and moved to Clear Lake Park, 6.5 miles (10.5 km) from its original location. When restoration of the church was completed, the museum was formally dedicated on July 17, 1984.^[4] Sharon Dillard served as founding president, from 1984 to 1986.^[5] Among other artifacts, the museum's collections include mementos of the U.S. space program given by Lady Bird Johnson and other donors.^[3]

Lady Bird Johnson wife of the 36th President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson

Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson was an American socialite and the First Lady of the United States (1963–1969) as the wife of the 36th President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson. She also served as the Second Lady of the United States.

Administration

Initially, the museum was governed by a President and Board of Trustees. At present, administration and maintenance is handled through the Bay Area Museum Guild, an organization with nearly 200 members.^[4] The Guild is dedicated to promoting awareness of the museum, its facilities, functions and needs throughout the community.

Events and programs

The sanctuary and annex are available for small private events such as weddings and Museum Guild meetings and functions, while hosting the annual Lunar Rendezvous festival.^[3] The Lunar Rendezvous festival, established in 1965, has been celebrated at the museum since its 1984 founding, and is an ongoing source of museum funding.^[6]^[3]

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References

↑ Ruth Burke and Rebecca Collins (18 November 2013). Around Clear Lake. Arcadia Publishing. p. 123. ISBN 978-1-4671-3078-3.
↑ "Webster Presbyterian Church - History". Archived from the original on 2013-08-07. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
1 2 3 4 Macias, Vicki (March 20, 2003). "Bay Area Museum boasts long, proud history". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
1 2 "History – Bay Area Museum – Clear Lake Park – Sea Brook, Texas" . Retrieved 2013-11-27.
↑ "Bay Area Museum Past Presidents". Lunar Rendezvous festival. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
↑ Carol Barrington (1 January 2006). Day Trips from Houston: Getaway Ideas for the Local Traveler. Globe Pequot Press. p. 268. ISBN 978-0-7627-3867-0.

External links

Coordinates: 29°34′07″N95°04′08″W / 29.5687°N 95.0689°W / 29.5687; -95.0689

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[Collins2013-1] Ruth Burke and Rebecca Collins (18 November 2013). Around Clear Lake. Arcadia Publishing. p. 123. ISBN 978-1-4671-3078-3.

[2] "Webster Presbyterian Church - History". Archived from the original on 2013-08-07. Retrieved 2013-11-27.

[Macias2003-3] 1 2 3 4 Macias, Vicki (March 20, 2003). "Bay Area Museum boasts long, proud history". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 31 December 2013.

[history-4] 1 2 "History – Bay Area Museum – Clear Lake Park – Sea Brook, Texas" . Retrieved 2013-11-27.

[presidents-5] "Bay Area Museum Past Presidents". Lunar Rendezvous festival. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.

[Barrington2006-6] Carol Barrington (1 January 2006). Day Trips from Houston: Getaway Ideas for the Local Traveler. Globe Pequot Press. p. 268. ISBN 978-0-7627-3867-0.