Maine Historical Society
Encyclopedia
Historical society
A historical society is an organization that collects, researches, interprets and preserves information or items of historical interest. Generally, a historical society focuses on a specific geographical area, such as a county or town or subject, such as aviation or rail. Many historical...
of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and is located in Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
.
History
The Maine Historical Society was founded in 1822 and is the third oldest state historical society after the Massachusetts Historical SocietyMassachusetts Historical Society
The Massachusetts Historical Society is a major historical archive specializing in early American, Massachusetts, and New England history...
and New York Historical Society. The Maine Historical Society was founded and funded by many of Portland's early Yankee
Yankee
The term Yankee has several interrelated and often pejorative meanings, usually referring to people originating in the northeastern United States, or still more narrowly New England, where application of the term is largely restricted to descendants of the English settlers of the region.The...
philanthropists, including James Phinney Baxter
James Phinney Baxter
James Phinney Baxter was an American businessman, historian, civic leader, and benefactor of Portland, Maine.His personal library, containing over 100 leather-bound books of maps, portraits, engravings and personal letters, is available for reference at the Portland Public Library.- Biography...
. The Society currently operates the Wadsworth-Longfellow House
Wadsworth-Longfellow House
The Wadsworth-Longfellow House is an historic house and museum in Portland, Maine, United States. It is located at 489 Congress Street and is operated by the Maine Historical Society. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962, and administratively added to the National Register of...
, a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
, and Longfellow Garden, the Maine Historical Society Museum and Store, the Maine Historical Society Research Library and the Maine Memory Network.
Presidents
William WillisWilliam Willis (mayor)
William Willis was a Portland, Maine lawyer, historian, and politician, and was the partner of William Pitt Fessenden. He was state senator in 1855 and Mayor of Portland, Maine in 1857, president of the Maine Historical Society , and president of the Maine Central Railroad.Bowdoin College, which...
, Mayor of Portland, was the president of the Maine Historical Society (1856–1865). Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr.
Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr.
Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr. is a Maine historian. In 2004 and 2008,, Shettleworth was appointed the sixth State Historian by Governor John Baldacci.-Personal:...
, official State Historian of Maine, was president of MHS from 1977 to 1979.
Maine Historical Society Museum
The Maine Historical Society Museum is located at the Society's headquarters at 489 Congress StreetCongress Street (Portland, Maine)
Congress Street is the main street in Portland, Maine. Congress stretches from Portland's southwestern border with South Portland through a number of neighborhoods before ending overlooking the Eastern Promenade on Munjoy Hill...
, Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
. Topics for the changing exhibits include Maine's history, politics, culture, sports, religion, art and business.