Millville Army Air Field Museum
  Location within New Jersey | |
Former name | Millville Municipal Airport Museum |
|---|---|
| Established | 1984 |
| Location | Millville, New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 39°22′19″N 75°04′21″W / 39.3720°N 75.0725°W |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Founder | Michael T. Stowe |
| Website | www |
The Millville Army Air Field Museum is an aviation museum located at Millville Executive Airport in Millville, New Jersey focused on the history of Millville Army Air Field.
History
[edit]Background
[edit]Beginning in seventh grade, Michael T. Stowe began excavating World War II artifacts from around Millville Municipal Airport.[1]
Establishment
[edit]Seeking a place to display his collection, Stowe founded the Millville Municipal Airport Museum in 1984. It opened in May of the following year in Building 35 following renovations.[1] The museum moved to the larger Building 1 in 1985 and was incorporated three years later.[2][3] A year prior, Stowe recovered aircraft parts of a P-47 from the bottom of the nearby Union Lake.[4] After being forced to close for a year due to building problems, the museum reopened in 1989 with a new name, the Millville Army Air Field Museum and a plan to build a half-scale replica of a P-47.[5]
The museum acquired the collections of the Philadelphia Seaplane Base Museum in 2000.[6]
Following the demolition of three historic structures at the airport in early 2004 and a proposal to tear down a fourth, plans for a historic district were introduced.[7][8][9] In the meantime, the museum had expanded its focus to include the post-World War II-era and grown to include a total of three buildings.[10]
The city proposed reducing the size of the historic district and demolishing derelict buildings in 2016.[9] Two years later, the museum began renovating Building 31, which originally housed the quartermaster's office, to use as a shop and collections storage in 2018.[11]
Facilities
[edit]The Henry E. Wyble Historic Research Library & Education Center is located at the museum.[12]
Exhibits
[edit]Exhibits at the museum include a Link Trainer.[13]
The museum also features a series of five exterior murals depicting a various scenes related to the airport's history, such as a P-47 Thunderbolt on a gun boresight range and the World War II-era fire department at the base.[14][15][16][a] Also located outside is a monument dedicated on the 75th anniversary of the airport.[18]
Collection
[edit]Aircraft
[edit]Ground vehicles
[edit]Events
[edit]The museum holds an annual Veterans Appreciation Day event and an annual Millville Wheels & Wings Airshow.[24][25]
Programs
[edit]The museum takes part in the Veterans History Project.[26]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]Footnotes
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ a b Vanaman, Joyce (18 June 1984). "Digging Yields Museum at Millville Airport Site". The Press. p. 14. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ Vanaman, Joyce (18 June 1985). "Airport Museum Spreads Its Wings". The Press. pp. 25–26. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "At Your Service". Daily Journal. 23 January 1992. p. B3. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ Brandt, Randolph (1 July 1987). "Curator Jumps in Union Lake and Surfaces with Treasure". The Press. pp. 33–34. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ Vanaman, Joyce (25 July 1989). "Millville Air Museum Gets Ready to Fly High". The Press. p. B2. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "MAAFM Acquires Historic Philadelphia Seaplane Base Museum". Millville Army Air Field Museum. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ Smith, Joseph P. (9 March 2004). "Millville Planners Mull Over Proposal for Historic Site at Municipal Airport". Daily Journal. pp. A1–A2. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Millville Army Air Field Historic District". New Jersey Historic Trust. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ a b Smith, Joseph P. (1 May 2016). "Debate on Size of Airport Historic Area Takes Off". Daily Journal. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ Landau, Joel (16 June 2009). "Millville Air Field's Focus Goes Beyond World War II". Daily Journal. pp. A1–A7. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ Smith, Joseph P. (9 November 2018). "Home Depot Volunteers Renovating World War II Airport Building". Daily Journal. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Library". Millville Army Air Field Museum. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Link Trainer – Classroom Lesson Plan". Millville Army Air Field Museum. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ Smith, Joseph P. (22 September 2015). "Mural on Target at Historic Gunnery Range". Daily Journal. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "New Mural Unveiled at Millville Army Air Field Museum". Daily Journal. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Murals". Millville Army Air Field Museum. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Artist Completes Restoration of Millville's Wall of Remembrance Mural". Daily Journal. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "75th Anniversary of Millville Airport's Dedication". Daily Journal. 2 August 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier - Douglas A-4F Skyhawk, s/n 154200 USN". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "C-47 Exhibit". Millville Army Air Field Museum. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier - Douglas R4D-6, s/n 50837 USN, c/n 15563, c/r N375AS". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Airframe Dossier - Short C-23B Sherpa, s/n 85-25343 US". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "M60A3 Tank (S/N: 4074A)". Millville Army Air Field Museum. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ Streahle, Jodi (3 November 2014). "Veterans Get True Salute". Daily Journal. pp. A1–A6. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ Smith, Joseph P. (29 January 2016). "Blue Angels to Fly at 2017 Millville Airshow". Daily Journal. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Millville Museum Receives Grant for Veterans Project". Daily Journal. 5 July 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2024.