LATEST NEWS:
THE BRHS IS SEEKING AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. cLICK HERE FOR DETAILS.
UPCOMING SPEAKERS:
September 21 – Dottie Yunger, “Exciting Changes at Maine State Aquarium, Learning Lab, and Burnt island” – BRHS, 4:30
SAVE THE DATE! Have you been wondering what’s going on at the Department of Marine Resources? On Thursday, September 21 at 4:30 p.m. DMR marine biologist Dottie Yunger will present “Exciting Changes at the Maine State Aquarium, Learning Lab, and Burnt Island” at the society’s museum at 72 Oak Street in Boothbay Harbor.
The Maine State Aquarium and Dept of Marine Resources Boothbay Lab have a rich history in the area. The Aquarium arose out of early research conducted at the lab and is currently undergoing renovations including a redesign. It is part of DMR’s Education Division, which is also undergoing a redesign, allowing audiences access to the research conducted by DMR. Education Division Director Dottie Yunger will share the design plans for the remodeled Aquarium set to open summer 2024. She will also talk about ways the public will be able to access DMR science and meet its scientists.
Limited seating will be available by reservation. Please call or email the office: 207.633.0820; brhs@gwi.net. Reserved seats will be held until 4:20 p.m. and then open to the public on a first come basis. This program will also be available by Zoom. Email the office to receive the Zoom link. The society’s entire 2023 speaker series will be available online later in the fall. More details to come. Our programs are free, however donations to help defray some costs are always appreciated! Thank you for your support.
CURRENT SPECIAL EXHIBITS:
CAptains AND vessels of the boothbay region 1800 to 1921
This exhibit explores the stories and histories of Boothbay’s captains and of the vessels built in the Boothbay region during America’s golden age of sail. Browse our slide show of captains and vessels, along with diaries, blueprints, and artifacts from the period, many of which are on display for the first time.
tHE SCHOONER BOWDOIN
The 88-foot schooner Bowdoin was designed by naval architect William Hand for Adm. Donald B. MacMillan’s arctic expeditions. Her maiden voyage began three months after her launching in April 1921 from Hodgdon Brothers Shipyard in East Boothbay. MacMillan sailed the Bowdoin more than 300,000 miles over 26 exploratory and scientific expeditions between 1921 and 1954. In May 1941, he sold her to the Navy for use in Greenland during World War II. After the war ended, he bought her back and resumed his arctic expeditions. In 1988, she was named Maine’s official state vessel and became the flagship sailing vessel for the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine. She was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989. This exhibit includes images of Arctic expeditions, stories from Adm. MacMillan, ship’s plans, and more.
Boothbay Center School graduates c. 1895
Are you in search of family roots?
Would you like to know more about local history?
Come visit our museum!
You may contact us, or click on Research, above, for a list of our files.
ABOUT US
The Boothbay Region Historical Society is located at the 1874 home of Elizabeth F. Reed and its grounds, Fullerton Park. Browse six rooms of artifacts, photographs, maps, and memorabilia. Our collections of town records, local newspapers, family histories, account books, and more are available for those wishing to delve into our colonial and coastal heritage.
Want to know more about Boothbay region history?
You can receive monthly articles about the Boothbay region by our historian Barbara Rumsey by signing up for our monthly enews (in the box on the sidebar). Also, we post historic photos of the region on our Facebook page. Follow us on Facebook, too!
