Martinez Museum

The Martinez Museum closed October 15^th for extensive renovations. You can follow construction progress on the Martinez Museum Facebook page.
The Museum is located in the 1890 Borland House which rests on a «cripple wall» of redwood which is in direct contact the soil. The cripple wall is now being removed and a concrete foundation is being put in place. The building will then be bolted to the foundation to secure it during future earthquakes. While the foundation is being installed, the crawl space will also be dug out to meet the minimum code requirement of 18 inches. While the exterior work is underway, interior work will also take place which will include cleaning, painting, refinishing hardwood floors and renewing museum displays.

The museum is located in the Borland House, an authentic example of a late 19^th century Carpenter Gothic Victorian home. The house was built to be both a home and a dental office, and was used for many purposes through the years. Saved from the wrecking ball, which was the fate of so many homes in Martinez, it gives a glimpse of Martinez’s past. The waterfront village of Martinez became the Contra Costa County seat in 1850. This house was completed 1890. The population grew to about 1,000 in 1900.
Every room has a theme; my favorites are the living room and the dining room. I found the Edison disk phonograph and the Polyphone disc music box fascinating. Both rooms have pump organs and wonderful photos.
The other rooms are also interesting. The county room showcases CC county history. The barber shop is a replica of a late 19^th shop. The School Room features the schools of Martinez. The Waterfront Room gives the history of the town as a fishing and shipping port. The Olden Days Room is filled with miscellaneous items of life in Martinez with a whole wall dedicated to Shell.
The closets in the rooms also have displays, and the stairwell has interesting pictures.