Contempo Photos 2022 (24)-2

Maitland Art Center

The A&H’s Maitland Art Center houses a remarkable collection, anchored by the most comprehensive body of work by Research Studio founder J. André Smith (1880–1959). This includes hundreds of his paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, and extensive archival materials documenting his artistic evolution.

The collection also reflects the legacy of the Bok Fellows, who were the resident artists during Smith’s lifetime, featuring works by notable figures such as Milton Avery and Ralston Crawford, among others. These works speak to the enduring influence of both Smith and his patron, Mary Louise Curtis Bok.

Thanks to nearly 30 years of leadership under former director James G. Shepp, the collection expanded to include notable works by blue-chip artists, as well as celebrated Central Florida artists from the 1980s through early 2000s.

Perhaps the most iconic artifact in the collection is the Maitland Art Center itself. This National Historic Landmark is adorned with over 2,000 hand-carved and cast reliefs, many designed and sculpted by Smith himself. Blending Mayan and Aztec influences with Christian, and Asian motifs, the site is an immersive work of art and a rare example of Mayan Revival architecture in the southeastern United States.

Atomic Era Maitland

Maitland History Museum

The Maitland History Museum’s collection preserves over 3,500 objects that document daily life in small-town Florida. These artifacts reflect the growth of Maitland through its businesses, families, churches, schools, and civic institutions.

The museum’s archives include:

  • Over 39 cubic feet of manuscripts and photographs
  • 90 audiotapes and 25 videotapes
  • Historic documents such as early city records, cemetery maps, voter rolls, and family papers

Artifacts range from handmade quilts to citrus tools, offering tangible insight into the region’s working and domestic life.

[Waterhouse Family][6]

Waterhouse Residence Museum & Carpentry Shop

The Waterhouse Residence Museum’s collection of authentic period furnishings, textiles, and domestic items helps convey the daily life of a family who helped shape early Maitland. The home itself, built in 1884, stands as a living artifact, preserving the spirit of the community’s early days.

Adjacent to the Waterhouse Residence, the Carpentry Shop Museum features a collection of 19th-century woodworking tools once used by William H. Waterhouse, a builder who played a key role in constructing many of Maitland’s first homes.

Highlights include:

  • A portable workbench
  • Antique wood and metal planes
  • An early scroll saw

The shop building, meticulously restored to its original layout, showcases the tools and techniques of early Florida craftsmanship.

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Telephone Museum

The A&H’s Telephone Museum is Florida’s only museum dedicated to the history of telecommunications. It traces the remarkable story of how Maitland and the surrounding area entered the modern era of communication through the efforts of the Winter Park Telephone Company (1913–1979).

The collection includes:

  • Antique telephones and switchboards
  • A working PBX station
  • Line installation tools, military field gear, and more

Interactive displays and hands-on activities make this one of the Southeast’s most extensive, and engaging, telephone collections.

Click here to learn more about donating an item to the center’s collection.