Without Space or Curator, Military Museum in Augusta Expected to Close

One of Augusta's hidden treasures, the Maine Military Historical Society's museum, isn't expected to survive the move of the Maine National Guard headquarters from Camp Keyes to a new facility, Camp Chamberlain.

The new Maine National Guard Joint Force Headquarters is expected to open in January.

Brig. Gen. Dwaine Drummond tells the Kennebec Journal that the $32 million budget for Camp Chamberlain didn't include space for the museum. Without a home or curator, the museum will close and volunteers will scramble to store the museum's historical artifacts.

The museum's artifacts include Medals of Honor awarded to Maine military heroes and a pistol believed to have belonged Maj. Gen. Joshua Chamberlain. Other items include pre-Revolutionary War citizen militia flags, uniforms, weapons, photographs and war trophies according to the Associated Press.