Maine Historical Society

The Maine Historical Society (MHS) is a nonprofit historical institution based in downtown Portland and recognized as the official historical society of the U.S. state of Maine. Founded in 1822, it is among the oldest state historical societies in the United States. Its work centers on collecting, preserving, studying, and interpreting the history of Maine and the broader northern New England region. The Society operates a group of interconnected public and research resources at its Portland headquarters. These include the Maine Historical Society Museum and Store, the Brown Research Library, the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, and the Longfellow Garden. Together, these facilities support public exhibitions, historic-house interpretation, educational activity, genealogy and family-history research, and access to archival and printed materials. The organization also contributes to statewide historical work through the Maine Memory Network, an online database that brings together documents, photographs, and other materials from the Society and participating local historical organizations. MHS was established in 1822 during a period when Maine's civic and intellectual leaders were creating institutions to document the history of the newly independent state. Its membership and leadership have included Portland businesspeople, historians, philanthropists, political figures, and other prominent Mainers. Notable historical leaders cited in accounts of the Society include Portland mayor William Willis, who served as president from 1856 to 1865, and James Phinney Baxter, who was president from 1889 to 1921. The Society's history also includes the participation of figures such as Josiah Crosby and George J. Varney. Earle G. Shettleworth Jr., who later served as Maine's state historian, was president from 1977 to 1979. The Brown Research Library represents one of the Society's principal scholarly assets. The library has maintained Maine-related holdings since the Society's founding and contains books, manuscripts and other archival material, maps, newspapers, photographs, and engineering and architectural drawings. Its collecting interests also include genealogy and family history, particularly relating to Maine, early New England, and eastern Canada. The present library building was constructed in 1907 to replace the Morton Block. Designed by Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, nephew of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A major renovation completed in 2007 led to its naming in honor of John Marshall Brown and Alida Carroll Brown. The Wadsworth-Longfellow House, a National Historic Landmark, connects the Society's institutional work with the life and setting of one of Maine's best-known literary families. The adjacent Longfellow Garden and the Society's museum broaden that focus to include changing presentations on Maine's politics, culture, religion, sports, art, business, and other aspects of state history. Rather than functioning as a commercial consumer brand, MHS operates as a public-facing cultural and research institution whose value lies in stewardship, access, interpretation, and collaboration with communities across Maine.

The Maine Historical Society was founded in 1822 to preserve and promote knowledge of Maine's past. Its creation reflected the interests of civic leaders, intellectuals, businesspeople, and philanthropists who wanted to document the history and identity of the state. The institution is described as the third-oldest state historical society in the United States, following the Massachusetts Historical Society and the New-York Historical Society. From its early years, the Society maintained a library and developed collections relating to Maine and the wider historical environment of northern New England. Its holdings eventually expanded beyond books to include manuscripts and other archival records, maps, newspapers, photographs, and engineering and architectural drawings. Genealogical and family-history materials became an important part of the research program, with particular attention to Maine, early New England, and eastern Canada. The Society's leadership has included several influential figures in Maine public life. William Willis, who also served as mayor of Portland, was president between 1856 and 1865. James Phinney Baxter, a prominent Portland civic figure, led the organization from 1889 through 1921. Other influential members identified in accounts of the institution include Josiah Crosby and George J. Varney. Earle G. Shettleworth Jr., later known as Maine's state historian, served as president from 1977 to 1979. A major physical component of the Society's research program is the building now known as the Brown Research Library. Constructed in 1907 after the replacement of the Morton Block, the building was designed by architect Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, a nephew of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building underwent extensive renovation in 2007 and was subsequently named for John Marshall Brown and Alida Carroll Brown. The Society's Portland campus also includes the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, the Longfellow Garden, and the Maine Historical Society Museum and Store. The Wadsworth-Longfellow House is a National Historic Landmark and provides a historic-house setting for interpreting Maine literary and social history. The museum presents changing exhibitions covering subjects such as politics, culture, sports, religion, art, and business, allowing the institution to address different periods and themes rather than maintaining a single permanent narrative. In the digital sphere, the Maine Memory Network extends the Society's reach beyond its Portland facilities. The online database contains documents and images drawn from the Society and from many local historical societies across Maine. This statewide dimension is central to MHS's role: it serves both as a steward of its own collections and as a partner and platform for organizations documenting local communities. Today, the Maine Historical Society remains an active nonprofit cultural and research institution. Its principal functions are collection stewardship, public interpretation, scholarly access, historic-site operation, education, and digital dissemination. The Society's activities connect visitors, researchers, students, genealogists, and local historical organizations with evidence of Maine's political, cultural, social, architectural, and economic past.

• 2007

  Library renovation and renaming

  [1]Maine Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  An extensive renovation of the research library was completed, and the facility was named for John Marshall Brown and Alida Carroll Brown.

• 1977

  Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. begins presidency

  [1]Maine Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Earle G. Shettleworth Jr., later Maine's state historian, served as president from 1977 to 1979.

• 1907

  Research library building completed

  [1]Maine Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The present library building was constructed to replace the Morton Block and was designed by Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow.

• 1889

  James Phinney Baxter begins presidency

  [1]Maine Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  James Phinney Baxter became president, serving until 1921.

• 1856

  William Willis begins presidency

  [1]Maine Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Portland mayor William Willis began a presidency that continued through 1865.

• 1822

  Maine Historical Society founded

  [1]Maine Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The Society was established in Portland to preserve and promote the history of Maine.

Statewide historical institution and cultural-heritage organization focused on preserving, researching, and presenting Maine history.

• Museum

  Maine Historical Society Museum

  The Society's museum in Portland presents changing exhibitions about Maine's history and public life. Topics identified in descriptions of the museum include politics, culture, sports, religion, art, and business. Its rotating format allows the institution to interpret different communities, themes, and historical periods over time.

• Research library and archive · 1822

  Brown Research Library

  The Brown Research Library provides access to the Society's long-running collections on Maine history. Materials include books, archival records, maps, newspapers, photographs, and engineering and architectural drawings, along with genealogy and family-history resources related to Maine, early New England, and eastern Canada.

• Historic house

  Wadsworth-Longfellow House

  The Wadsworth-Longfellow House is a National Historic Landmark operated by the Society. The historic house offers a place-based way to interpret the Longfellow family, Portland, and aspects of Maine's literary and social history.

• Historic garden

  Longfellow Garden

  The Longfellow Garden forms part of the Society's Portland historic-site offering and complements the Wadsworth-Longfellow House with an outdoor setting connected to the site's interpretation and visitor experience.

• Digital historical database

  Maine Memory Network

  The Maine Memory Network is an online database of historical documents and images. It extends the Society's public access mission statewide by incorporating resources from the Maine Historical Society and many local historical societies.

1. 1Maine Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Maine Historical Society official websitemainehistory.org