The history of the Willis Museum in Basingstoke | Basingstoke Gazette basingstokegazette.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from basingstokegazette.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
THE WILLIS Museum is celebrating its 90th birthday today. It was at 3pm on January 22, 1931, Sir William Wyndham Portal, Vice Lieutenant of Hampshire, officially opened the Basingstoke Museum. The museum was originally housed in the old Mechanics’ Institute building in New Road. It was renamed in 1956 as The Willis Museum in honour of local clockmaker Mr George Willis, who was its first curator, chairman and the driving force behind its creation. He was also the mayor of Basingstoke during 1923-24. In 1984, the museum was moved to its current home in the former town hall at the heart of historic Basingstoke. The Mechanics’ Institute building was demolished later.