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Middlesex Museum asks permission to use part of county seal; board will consult county attorney
Summary
The Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society requested permission to use the county badge (elements of the county seal) for its logo; the board asked staff and the county attorney to review legal and design options and to meet with the museum.
The Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society asked the board for permission to use the county badge — a portion of the county seal showing a crown and crossed swords — as its logo or to develop an alternative museum mark.
Mary South, president of the museum society, reported the museum’s historical research shows the county seal was given in 1976 and that the organization has used county emblems in the past. She said the museum is mindful that the county seal is county property and that the county code or arms language suggests restrictions on replication; she proposed the museum use the badge rather than the full county seal if the county prefers.
Board response and next steps: Supervisors agreed this is a policy question for the board and suggested the museum meet with the county attorney and staff to vet legal constraints, alternatives and design options. County staff agreed to follow up with the museum and the county attorney and return with advice; no formal vote was taken and the museum indicated it has no immediate deadline beyond stationery changes.
Why it matters: The request raises legal and branding questions about public‑property artwork and whether elements of a county seal may be used by a nonprofit museum. The board requested more detail from staff and the museum before any formal decision or policy action.
