Events at Member Institutions

From 1676 and into the 18^th century, much of Maine, including the Kennebec River region, was abandoned by the English due to a series of colonial Indian wars.  In 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht afforded a sufficient promise of peace for settlers to return to the frontier of Maine.  The lands along the Kennebec were owned by various groups of proprietors who wished to sell these lands to settlers.  To secure the frontier and more importantly make the settlers feel secure, a series of four forts were built along the Kennebec between 1720 and 1754.  This talk will discuss the history and archaeology of these forts.

Leon (Lee) Cranmer, our speaker, is an historical archaeologist who retired in August 2010 from the staff of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission.  He has a BS from Stockton University, and a BA in Anthropology and MA in history/historical archaeology from the University of Maine.  Lee has worked in archaeology in Maine for almost 30 years and has conducted archaeology for the state of Maine for well over 20 years.  Prior to that he spent two seasons in England doing archaeology.  He has written one book and numerous articles on Maine historical archaeology and is currently working on another book on Fort Halifax, a French and Indian War period fort in Winslow, Maine.  He has excavated hundreds of Maine sites for which he has written or co-authored site reports.  Prior to his archaeology career, Lee spent 7 years in the Navy and is a Vietnam veteran.  He lives in Somerville, Maine with his wife, Liz.

The Kennebec Historical Society February Presentation is free to the public (donations gladly accepted) and will take place on Wednesday, February 22, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. at the Maine State Library, located at 230 State Street in Augusta. ​  

Program in New England Studies

Boston - February 2017

Historic New England presents the Program in New England Studies, an intensive week-long learning experience, with lectures by specialists in history, architecture, preservation, and decorative arts; workshops; and specialized tours of Historic New England properties, other museums, and private houses.

Learn about New England culture through artifacts and architecture in a way that no other museum in the Northeast can match. This program is perfect for museum professionals, graduate students, owners of historic houses, collectors, and anyone with a passion for New England history.

New this year: Visits to the Eustis Estate, opening for the first time in 2017, and the newly restored Quincy House. Download a full schedule.

Monday, June 19 - Saturday, June 24, 2017

$1,550 Historic New England members

$1,600 nonmembers

Registration is required. Please call 617-994-6629 or register online.

Scholarships available for Program in New England Studies

Historic New England and a group of generous donors are providing multiple scholarships for Program in New England Studies. The scholarships are available to mid-career museum professionals and graduate students in the fields of architecture, decorative arts, material culture, or public history. Candidates from diverse cultural backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Program in New England Studies is an intensive week-long exploration of New England decorative arts and architecture that runs from Monday, June 19 to Saturday, June 24, 2017. Participants travel throughout New England to hear lectures and presentations by some of the country’s leading experts in regional history, architecture, preservation, and decorative arts. There are workshops, visits to Historic New England properties, other museums, and private homes and collections.

Scholarship Applications

Historic New England offers a specific scholarship to encourage the participation of individuals from diverse backgrounds. Applicants must represent a racial or ethnic minority group in the U.S. including but not limited to American Indian or African American or Black, Hispanic or Latino/a, Asian, or Pacific Islander.

Scholarships cover the full registration fee, housing at a local university, and a travel stipend of $200. Applications should include: a resume or curriculum vitae (limit five pages) and a statement (limit two pages) explaining why you’d like to attend Program in New England Studies and how you expect the program to benefit you and your career and the impact that your presence might have upon other participants.

Submission Deadlines: The deadline for the 2017 award is Friday, April 21. Applications must be submitted electronically by 4:30 p.m. Eastern on April 21 to Kturino@historicnewengland.org. Subject line should include “Historic New England Diversity Scholarship Proposal.” Successful applicants will be contacted by April 28, 2017

Historic New England extends its thanks to Ralph Bloom, Decorative Arts Trust, and Tom and Alice Gould for making these scholarships available.

Click Here for more information.

The Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine [HHRC] will host its 3rd Annual Hearts for Human Rights Fundraiser on Thursday, February 9th at 6 p.m. at the Brunswick Hotel & Tavern.

The evening will feature live music by Portland, Maine's Pihcintu Multicultural Chorus, a live and silent auction, heavy hors d'oeuvres and more.

Each year, the HHRC reaches as many as 4,000 teachers and students from all over the state with free outreach programs about civil rights, the Holocaust, and civil discourse. All proceeds from the Hearts for Human Rights fundraiser will support the HHRC’s educational programming.

This year the HHRC will be joined by Pihcintu, a multicultural chorus that brings young, immigrant and refugee voices together to sing as one and inspire cultural acceptance. The group has shared its message of unity and peace by performing throughout Maine and at the United Nations in New York City.

Tickets are $40 per person and $300 for a table of 8. RSVP by Friday, January 27th to Jordan Bannister at jordan.bannister@maine.edu or by calling (207) 621-3530.

Event sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information, email infohhrc@maine.edu.

Did you ever wonder about the history of your house?  When was it built and by whom?  Did George Washington or Abraham Lincoln sleep there?  We will discuss how to utilize existing land and other records to reconstruct the past of your house and learn about past occupants.  Included will be an overview of the registry of deeds and other sources, strategies for identifying and extracting pertinent information and tips for dealing with “stone walls” and other problems.

Our speaker, Richard Bridges, is a Maine native and a graduate of the University of Maine and the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.  He has been a practicing attorney since 1983, concentrating on real estate and probate law.  He also serves as an Adjacent Instructor at Central Maine Community College and as a research consultant for the Augusta Historic Preservation Commission.

The Kennebec Historical Society January Presentation is free to the public (donations gladly accepted) and will take place on Wednesday, January 18, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. at the Lithgow Public Library, Community Meeting Room, located at 45 Winthrop Street in Augusta. ​  

The Polar Express™ returns for another season of magical memories at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad!  The fun begins at the Ocean Gateway Visitor Center, which serves as our train depot for this event. Holiday decorations inside the train add to the festive atmosphere as guests on board meet the Conductor, enjoy hot chocolate and cookies served by hot chocolate chefs, and listen to a reading of the story as they journey to the “North Pole.” Santa greets children aboard the train while passengers sing along to carols as they travel back to the train station. All tickets for this event are sold through PortTIX (www.porttix.com).  Early reservations are strongly encouraged as tickets often sell out.   

The Polar Express™ is the largest annual fundraiser for the museum – thank you for your support! 

Most of our birds are migratory. They come and go and you must be on the alert to see them at the right time and place.  Most of our flowers have only a brief blooming period.  You must look for them at a certain time of year if you wish to find them in all their beauty and fragrance.  But the trees we always have with us.  With them there is no hurry. They stand there summer and winter, year in and out, in all kinds of weather.  Many have been standing for more than a century.  This presentation is to introduce them and rouse the observer’s interest to the large, breathtaking trees around us.  We are fortunate to have two “National Champions”, the largest of a particular species in all the United States.  Maine has more than 160 different kinds of trees.

If you look at a group of 100 trees in a small area, you will see at least 10 different species.

Our presenter, Duane Prugh, graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Electrical Engineering.  He is now a semi-retired computer consultant.  For the past 15 years, he has been teaching at several of Maine’s Senior Colleges, taking local seniors on field trips to explore dozens of these sites.  There is so much to see in our own state, and his goal is to get our senior students out of their homes for day trips to explore sites in Maine that most people don’t know exist.  

The Kennebec Historical Society December Presentation is free to the public (donations gladly accepted) and will take place on Wednesday, December 14, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. at the Augusta City Center, located at 16 Cony Street in Augusta. ​  

Autumn is a beautiful time of year along the coast of Maine! Enjoy the beauty of the season with a ride aboard the Pumpkin Train at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum.  The Pumpkin Train takes place October 22nd & 23rd and October 29th & 30th.  Children can explore the museum and paint a miniature pumpkin to bring home as a souvenir of the day. All visitors are treated to complimentary hot cider and cookies. Regular Admission Fees Apply.  The museum is open from 9:30am to 4:00pm with trains on the hour.

Think America's current political situation is someone else's fault?

Think Again!

On Saturday, October 22nd at 7 pm and Sunday, October 23rd at 2 pm, the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine's program director David Greenham will present a compelling new monologue, written by Mike Daisey, called "The Trump Card" at the Michael Klahr Center.

The show tells the story of Donald Trump's rise from businessman to presidential candidate.

Click Here to get your tickets today!

A film in progress about the production, consumption, and history of racist collectibles

by Chico Colvard

6;30PM-10:00PM: Reception, film, and live webchat with the filmmaker.

Wednesday, October 19th, 2016 at 

SPACE Gallery - 538 Congress Street, Portland

Free to the public, cash bar

Street parking available

Watch the trailer here. 

For more information, contact susie.bock@maine.edu

The Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine [HHRC] presents the 2016 Pride Film Festival, scheduled for Fridays in October at 7 p.m. at the Michael Klahr Center.

In honor of LGBT History Month, the Pride Film Festival encourages inclusion, discussion and celebration of the LGBTQ+ community in central Maine. The HHRC will be screening four films that made a unique impact in LGBTQ+ film history and leading an audience discussion after each one.

The festival begins on Friday, October 7^th with the showing of The Boys in the Band (1970). Noted as a milestone for its unbiased focus on the average lives of American gay men, The Boys in the Band features a group of friends enjoying a birthday party until the arrival of some unexpected visitors and a drinking game cause more harm than good. This film is rated R with a run time of 1 hour 59 minutes.

The film slated for Friday, October 14^th is Fire (1996). An Indian-Canadian romantic drama that sparked a dialogue about homosexuality and freedom of speech throughout India, Fire was written and directed by Deepa Mehta. Heavily protested at its release in India in 1998, the movie tells the story of Sita and Radha who find safety from the cruelty of their husbands in each other’s arms. Fire is unrated with a run time of 1 hour 48 minutes.

The film on Friday, October 21^st is the powerful documentary Paragraph 175 (2000). Alongside Jews, gypsies, and other “undesirable” community members, homosexuals were persecuted during the Holocaust. Paragraph 175 features testimony from several gay individuals, arrested for the crime of homosexuality by the Nazis during WWII in accordance with The German Criminal Code. From May 15, 1871 to March 10, 1994, Paragraph 175, also known as Section 175, stood to criminalize homosexual acts between men; the Nazi regime expanded that law, leading to the imprisonment and death of thousands. This film is unrated with a run time of 1 hour 21 minutes.

To conclude the festival, the HHRC will screen The Danish Girl (2015) on Friday, October 29^th. This Academy Award-winning film is based on the true story of Einar Wegener, a young artist who begins the process of transitioning to Lili Elbe after realizing that she has always identified as a woman. Set in the 1930s, The Danish Girl tells the story of one of the first people to undergo sex reassignment surgery. This film is rated R and has a run time of 2 hours.

The HHRC’s Pride Film Festival is free to attend, open to the public and refreshments are provided.

All films will be shown at the Michael Klahr Center, located at 46 University Drive in Augusta. For more information visit www.hhrcmaine.org/pridefilms2016 or call (207) 621-3530.