Maine Humanities Council
Home of the Harriet P. Henry Center for the Book

August 1, 2, and 3 ~~~ North Haven

“Shakespeare to ‘Islands’: The North Haven Drama Program 1996-2006” is an exhibit of photographs, posters, video recordings, audio recordings, and narratives, created by North Haven Arts & Enrichment to celebrate local performing arts. The materials document the history of the island’s successful drama program, which stages a minimum of two productions each year and made national headlines with its original musical, “Islands.” Waterman’s Community Center, which houses a 134-seat theater, a preschool, a gallery, and a coffee shop, serves as an ideal venue for an exhibition celebrating the creative potential of this island community. The exhibit is on view through August 3, between 6:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. Subsequently, framed photos will be hung throughout Waterman’s, with new photos added as new plays are produced. For information, contact Keely Felton, program director for North Haven Arts & Enrichment, at (207) 867-2100. Back to the Top

August 1, 2, and 3 ~~~ Presque Isle

The Historical Pavilion is an annual event at the Northern Maine Fair, bringing items from more than twenty regional historical societies and family collections together for an exhibition of local history. The Pavilion is in the Forum, the largest building on the Northern Maine Fairgrounds in Presque Isle. The 2006 Fair runs from July 28-August 5; the Historical Pavilion is open August 1-3. For more information, contact Kevin McCartney at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, (207) 768-9482.

Back to the Top

August 4-31, 2006

The St. Croix Historical Society has collaborated with the St. Croix River Valley Arts Council, Charlotte County, the New Brunswick Museum, the Calais Free Library, yje Calais Fire House Restoration Committee, Friends of the Observatory, the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, and Friends of the Moosehorn to create One River, Two Cities, One Story. This community-wide \exhibit of historic images, art, and artifacts portrays the unique and closely woven past of Calais, Maine and St. Stephen, New Brunswick-located on opposite sides of the St. Croix River. The primary exhibit location is the Riverside Pavilion, 15 Union Street, Calais. This location will be open from August 4 to August 31, 2006, Wednesday through Sunday, 1-6 p.m. A satellite exhibit, open on the weekends, is located at the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. To learn more, please contact Alex Markhoff, alexmarkhoff@hotmail.com.

Back to the Top

August 5 and 6, 2006 ~~~ North Waterboro

The historic Elder Grey Meeting House in North Waterboro, Maine, was constructed in 1806. This summer, a celebration will be held to honor the 200th anniversary of the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A 10-foot by 12-foot replica of the church will be constructed and will appear in the “Old Home Days” parade in Waterboro on July 10. On August 5 and 6, the replica will be moved by an oxen-drawn sledge as a reenactment of the relocation of the church in 1832, from the bottom of Chadbourne Ridge closer to the aging Elder Grey’s house at the top. Festivities accompanying the reenactment will include period children’s games and music (researched by the Waterboro Historical Society), as well as a picnic at which the church replica will be auctioned off. To learn more about the celebration, please contact the Elder Grey Meeting House and Cemetery Association at (207) 247-5199.

Back to the Top

August 11 and 13, 2006 ~~~ Bethel

The Bethel Historical Society marks its 40th anniversary in 2006 with a series of lectures that celebrate life in New England. On June 1, Earle Shettleworth, Jr. gave a talk entitled “A Painter’s Progress: The Life, Work, and Travels of Harrison Bird Brown of Portland, Maine.” On August 11, David Watters will address “New England’s Legacy: Memory and Identity in an American Region.” Two days later, Thomas Hubka will explore “Maine’s Connected Farm Buildings: The Uncommon Architecture of Common Farmers.” On October 12, James Kiepper will speak about the life of “Styles Bridges: Yankee Senator.” Finally, on November 9, Kent Ryden will address “Landscape and Figures: Nature and Culture in New England.” For details, please visit the Society on Broad Street in Bethel or call (207) 824-2908.

Back to the Top

August 11 and 12, 2006 ~~~ Brunswick

In conjunction with the Brunswick Downtown Association’s “Destination Downtown,” the Pejepscot Historical Society will host a major educational and recreational event on August 11 and 12, 2006. Civil War re-enactments by the 20th Maine Troop, historic craft demonstrations, wagon ride tours of the historic district, and activities for all ages will provide both visitors and residents with an opportunity to experience life in 19th century Brunswick. For details, please call (207) 729-6606 or visit www.curtislibrary.com/pejepscot.htm.

Back to the Top

August 17, 2006 ~~~ Orono

The Orono Historical Society will host a monthly public lecture series as part of the bicentennial celebration of the town. The lectures will take place on the third Thursday of every month for the rest of the year. On July 20, retired UMaine professor Stewart Doty will give an Orono history overview. January’s speakers, David Sanger and Harold Borns, addressed the prehistory of the Orono area. In February, Roxanne Soucier of the Bangor Daily News spoke about early family life. The March lecture featured two women, Sally Jacobs and Nancy Smith, with direct links to Orono’s history. In April, Kerck Kelsey lectured on one of Orono’s most prominent residents, Israel Washburn. Kelsey is the author of a biography about Washburn, a Civil War-era politician. The May lecture brought State Historian Earle Shettleworth to address the topic of Orono’s historic buildings. Before Shettleworth’s lecture, participants could tour the former St. Mary’s School on Main Street, now a private residential complex that is not usually open to the public. In June, “Zip” Kellogg spoke about rivers and the lumbering era and Patti Henner spoke about the Stillwater Canal. All lectures are free and open to the public in the Town’s Council Chambers. For other lecture topics and details, please contact the Orono Historical Society at (207) 866-4270.

Back to the Top

August 25-27, 2006 ~~~ Norridgewock

The Norridgewock Historical Society will host a three-day celebration of Native American culture and history at Oosoola Park, August 25-27, 2006. Over 100 Native people are expected to attend this event to participate in storytelling, drumming, and dancing. The Norridgewock Historical Society Museum will be open for displays of artifacts and a lecture on how Native Americans used the Kennebec-Chaudière Trail to visit relatives in Canada and trade and strategize with their French allies. For more information, please call museum curator Leslie Greer at (207) 634-4243.

Back to the Top

September 16, 2006 ~~~ Hinckley

The L.C. Bates Museum in Hinckley presents a public exhibit and accompanying programs that document the unique life story of Gerd Heinrich (1896-1987). Heinrich was an explorer, collector, and writer who grew up in Germany and later traveled worldwide from his home in Wilton, Maine. The exhibit will use natural history materials, illustrations and translated excerpts from Heinrich’s writings (including his autobiography), and interviews with family members to document his collecting trips. Raffael Scheck, a professor of history at Colby College, will devote significant scholarly support to this project, and along with Heinrich’s family, he will speak at the exhibit’s opening at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 16, 2006. An opening reception will follow at 2:30 p.m. The exhibit remains on view through September 15, 2007. For more information, please contact the museum at (207) 238-4250 or lcbates@gwh.org.

Back to the Top

June-August, 2006 ~~~ Chebeague Island

“Creating Community: The Hamilton Connection” is an exhibit and lecture series at the Chebeague Island Historical Society that follows the evolution of the island community through the entrepreneurial endeavors of its largest extended family. 250 years ago, Ambrose Hamilton settled Chebeague Island. His relatives and descendents would go on to play key roles in the stone slooping industry, the hotel/boarding house era, and small island businesses. Historical documents on display at the Museum of Chebeague History this summer will include photographs, genealogical records, personal diaries, brochures, newspaper articles, land deeds, and business ledgers. An extended Hamilton family reunion took place on July 15. The museum is open daily from 1-4:30; for more information, please call (207) 846-5237.

Back to the Top

June-November, 2006 ~~~ Peaks Island

Sacred At Any Cost, an exhibit focusing on the contributions and sacrifices made by the men and women of the Fifth Regiment Maine Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War, will be on view at the Fifth Maine Regiment Museum (located at 45 Seashore Avenue on Peaks Island) from June through November, 2006. The centerpiece of the exhibit is the Regiment’s battle flag, which survived the Regiment’s three-year term of service without being captured and became a point of pride among the veterans. The grand opening of the exhibit took place on June 11, when the flag, having been treated by a professional textile conservateur, was returned to the museum. For information and exhibit hours, please contact the museum at (207) 766-5514 or fifthmaine@juno.com.

Back to the Top

June-November, 2006 ~~~ Freeport

The Freeport Historical Society’s current exhibition commemorates the 250th anniversary of the attack on Thomas Means and his family. The “Means Massacre” took place in 1756, but oral traditions quickly proliferated around the event and remain in the community consciousness today. Through the exhibition, Freeport residents will be able to study the significance of this incident from both the Scots-Irish and the Native American perspective, within the context of the French and Indian Wars. In addition, an archaeologist will be excavating at what is believed to be the site of the Thomas Means homestead. The exhibition will remain on view at the Harrington House, 45 Main Street, through November. For further details, please visit www.freeporthistoricalsociety.org.

Back to the Top

October-November, 2006 ~~~ Portland

The Innocents is an exhibit of photographs by Taryn Simon, accompanied by a series of lectures and films, focusing on people wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for years before finally proving their innocence. Gathered from across the United States, this collection exposes a broken judicial system where even the most fundamental principles of justice are subverted. Accompanying the exhibit will be a series of lectures and films, including an appearance by photographer Taryn Simon on October 20. The exhibit runs October 19-November 24, 2006. For hours and event listings, please visit www.space538.org or call (207) 828-5600.