Birthplace of Adoniram Judson dedicated as museum, education center

Rosalie Hunt said she had been in the house a few times before, but it was just because the owner invited her to see it.

Now anyone can visit the birthplace of Adoniram Judson, the first American missionary to Asia. The house, which was built in 1674 in Malden, Massachusetts, was dedicated as a historic museum and education center on Aug. 9 by the Adoniram Judson Heritage Foundation.

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“It’s a treasure historically, and certainly for Baptist missions history it’s a big treasure,” said Rosalie Hunt, a retired missionary from Alabama who has written two books on the life of Judson and his three wives.

“That house is so significant because they are the beginning of modern missionaries,” she said, referring to Judson and his first wife, Ann, who sailed from Salem, Massachusetts, in 1812 and gave their lives to take the gospel to Burma, now called Myanmar.

Hunt shared a presentation on the Judsons via Zoom during the dedication ceremony.

As part of the dedication weekend, those present heard from a variety of other speakers as well, including a number of Burmese believers who trace their faith back to the Judsons’ work.

Hunt said Judson spent nearly 40 years in Burma and during that time, “his influence on the Scriptures was phenomenal.” Working with missionary William Carey, Judson added 5,000 words in the local language for use in translating the Bible.

“The Burmese say July 13, 1813 — the day the Judsons arrived in Burma — is their ‘Christmas,’” Hunt said. “It was the day the gospel came to their shores.”

According to the AJHF website, the organization’s key role is to “safeguard” Judson’s birthplace “to ensure its cultural and educational value is shared with the present and preserved for future generations.”

AJHF also supports initiatives that continue the Judsons’ work in Myanmar and beyond, including humanitarian aid, education, woman empowerment, cultural preservation and Christian literature translation.

For more information, visit judsonheritage.org.