BRUNSWICK

The Brunswick Naval Museum, which will chronicle the history of the former Brunswick Naval Air Station and its relationship to the town, is planning its first-ever exhibit, and is looking at securing funding.

The Brunswick Naval Museum and Memorial Gardens was founded in 2009 by a group that included retired and ex-Navy personnel and museum professionals who wanted to “educate our citizens and future generations about the significance” of the base and its relationship to the Brunswick area, according to the museum’s website.

The museum occupies three rooms at the former chapel. Museum board member J.R. Philips said the board was in the process of getting appraisals of bringing the rest of the building up to code.

The museum also maintains the Friendship and Memorial gardens at the chapel that are open to visitors every Wednesday and Sunday from 1-4 p.m.

The museum will also feature a research library, archives, and meeting and work areas.

The former chapel is being leased from the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, and the museum hopes to purchase the building outright at an expected cost of up to $500,000.

The museum’s first exhibit is expected to cost much less to the tune of $9,850.

The Brunswick Development Corporation unanimously approved last week a $3,500 grant for the exhibit. The exhibit will feature an overview of the history of the base, using photographs, models and documents, said Philips.

The exhibit will open within the next couple of months, although an exact date has yet to be determined, according to the museum’s president, John Briley.

BDC President Larissa Darcy said the museum and its exhibit will bring more people to Brunswick who may not have ordinarily come to the area.

The museum may also entice former squadron members stationed at the base to hold their reunions at Brunswick, Philips said.

Philips called the museum a “vital part” of the area’s history.

“We want to preserve that,” he said.

Philips said the museum is collecting personal artifacts and photos of those stationed at the base that showed how their lives were tied to Brunswick. He expects the Navy to loan to the museum other artifacts at a future date.

Go to www.brunswicknavalmuseum.org for more information.

THE BRUNSWICK Naval Museum and Memorial Gardens was founded in 2009 by a group that included retired and ex-Navy personnel and museum professionals who wanted to “educate our citizens and future generations about the significance” of the base and its relationship to the Brunswick area, according to the museum’s website.