Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum facts for kids
The Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum was the home of American Civil War general, Bowdoin College president, and Maine Governor Joshua L. Chamberlain. He lived there for over 50 years! This historic house is located in Brunswick, Maine. Today, it's open to the public during certain times of the year. The museum is being carefully restored to look just like it did when Chamberlain lived there.
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Contents
The House's Journey Through Time
Early Days: From 1824 to 1859
The main part of the Chamberlain Museum house was likely built around 1824. A man named Jesse Pierce bought the land that year. The house was built in the Greek Revival style, which was popular back then. It had a classic, simple look.
After Jesse Pierce, the house had a few different owners. One owner, Mary Ann Fales, rented out rooms. Can you believe that famous poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his first wife lived in three of these rooms while he taught at Bowdoin College?
Between 1836 and 1859, the house changed hands several times. Many different families lived there before Joshua L. Chamberlain bought it.
Chamberlain's Home: 1859 to 1983
In 1859, Professor Joshua L. Chamberlain bought the house for $2,100. He had already been renting an apartment there for two years with his wife, Frances Caroline Adams, and their two children.
After Chamberlain returned from the Civil War, his family made a big change in 1867. They sold part of their land and actually moved the entire house down the street! It was moved to the corner of Maine and Potter streets so it would face east. After the move, they added some cool new features to the outside. This included a special trim called "crenellated" (like the tops of castles) and chimneys decorated with different types of crosses.
When Chamberlain became president of Bowdoin College in 1871, he decided to stay in his own home instead of moving into the official President's House. He wanted to make his house bigger to host guests. So, they used equipment from local shipyards to lift the entire house 11 feet into the air! Then, they built a whole new floor underneath it. This new first floor has a Gothic style, but also mixes in parts of Italianate and Greek Revival designs.
Later, in the 1890s, Chamberlain added a Gothic-style porch, called a piazza, to the back of the house. In 1907, he had the castle-like trim removed.
After Chamberlain passed away in 1914, his daughter, Grace Allen, inherited the house and everything inside. Grace rented out rooms until she died in 1937. Her daughter, Rosamond Allen, then inherited it. Rosamond sold the house in 1939 to Emery Booker. He divided the large house into seven apartments, mostly for Bowdoin College students.
Finally, in 1983, the Pejepscot Historical Society bought the building for $75,000. They opened it as a museum in 1984, so everyone could learn about Joshua L. Chamberlain.
Many important people visited Chamberlain's home during his lifetime. These included famous Civil War generals like Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, and Philip Sheridan.
Exploring the Museum Today
The Pejepscot Historical Society runs the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum. You can take guided tours from late May (Memorial Day weekend) until early October (Columbus Day weekend).
When you visit, you'll get to see many rooms. These include the Dining Room, the Curvy Room, the Entryway, the Longfellow Parlor, the Library, the Governor's Room, the Architectural History Room, and the Formal Parlor.
The museum has many interesting items on display. You can see the actual boots Chamberlain wore at the famous battle of Gettysburg. There's also his special chair and desk from when he was governor. You can even see his saddle for his horse, Charlemagne! One very important item is the minié ball (a type of bullet) that almost killed Chamberlain at the Second Battle of Petersburg during the Civil War.
In the winter of 2013-2014, the house had some serious water damage. Very cold weather caused pipes to burst, and water poured into the first floor. This damaged some ceilings, a wall, and even some old furniture. This event helped the Maine State Museum create a better plan for protecting historical buildings during emergencies.
