Elizabeth M. Watkins Community Museum

The Elizabeth M. Watkins Community Museum, later renamed the Watkins Museum of History, serves as a local history museum in Lawrence, Kansas, operated by the Douglas County Historical Society. Housed in the former Watkins National Bank building at 11th and Massachusetts, it offers exhibits, educational activities, and public programs centered on Douglas County’s heritage. The bank, founded by Jabez B. Watkins, opened in 1888 and closed in 1929, after which Elizabeth Watkins donated the building to the city for use as City Hall. Following City Hall’s relocation and major renovations, the building reopened in 1975 as a museum. Its Richardsonian Romanesque design made it a distinguished landmark in Kansas architecture.

Lawrence, Kansas · United States