Maine Historical Society facts for kids
The Maine Historical Society (MHS) is a special place that helps us learn about the history of Maine. It's like a history club for the whole state! You can find it in downtown Portland at 489 Congress Street.
The MHS takes care of several important historical sites. These include the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, which is a very old and famous house. They also manage the Longfellow Garden, a museum, a store, and a research library. The Society also runs the Maine Memory Network. This is an online collection of old documents and pictures. It helps people explore Maine's past from anywhere!
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Discovering Maine's Past
The Maine Historical Society was started in 1822. This makes it one of the oldest historical societies in the United States. Only two others, in Massachusetts and New York, are older. Many important people from Maine helped create and support the MHS. These included business leaders, thinkers, and political figures. They all wanted to preserve Maine's rich history.
Leaders of the Society
Over the years, many people have led the Maine Historical Society. William Willis, who was the mayor of Portland, was president from 1856 to 1865. Later, James Phinney Baxter served as president for a long time, from 1889 to 1921. More recently, Earle G. Shettleworth Jr., who is Maine's state historian, was president from 1977 to 1979.
The Brown Research Library
The Maine Historical Society has a special library for research. It is named after John Marshall Brown and his wife, Alida Brown. The building where the library is now was built in 1907. It was designed by Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, who was the nephew of the famous poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The library was updated in 2007 and then named for the Browns. Since 1822, the MHS has been collecting historical items. The library holds many things about Maine's history. These include books, old papers, maps, newspapers, and photographs. You can also find drawings of buildings and engineering plans. The library is also a great place to research your family history, especially if your family is from Maine, New England, or eastern Canada.
Maine Historical Society Museum
The Maine Historical Society Museum is located at the Society's main building. You can find it at 489 Congress Street in Portland. The museum often changes its exhibits. These exhibits cover many different parts of Maine's history. You can learn about its culture, sports, religion, art, and businesses. It's a fun way to see how Maine has changed over time!
See also
- History of Maine
- List of historical societies in Maine
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Portland, Maine
- William Hutchinson Rowe
- Rufus Cutler Libby
