Bangor Historical Society

Bangor Historical Society Home of the BHS, learn more about Bangor's rich --and sometimes surprising--past at the Thomas A. Hil
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Founded in 1864, we are committed to preserving, protecting and sharing the history of Bangor and its people. The BHS offers guided tours, lectures, and special events at our Union Street home and across the city.

Did you know?Michael Schwartz, a German native, came to Bangor in 1843. He manufactured saws, sold hardware and mill sup...
06/13/2026

Did you know?
Michael Schwartz, a German native, came to Bangor in 1843. He manufactured saws, sold hardware and mill supplies in the Queen City. In 1853 Schwartz partnered with Samuel Darling in Darling & Schwartz. In 1866 the joined with their competitors Brown & Sharpe. The business continued until 1892. Schwartz lived at 119 Somerset Street, which is currently St. Xavier's.
Photos: Michael Schwartz; Darling & Schwartz marking on a caliper gauge and Schwartz's Somerset Street home.

Welcome to the Relics of the Revolution series!This dressing gown, or banyan, was worn by John Hancock during a stay in ...
06/12/2026

Welcome to the Relics of the Revolution series!
This dressing gown, or banyan, was worn by John Hancock during a stay in Maine while he was Governor of Massachusetts. Go to our online database to learn more about this artifact and other items in the collection at the Bangor Historical Society.

This object is on display now at the Thomas A. Hill House.

Have you ever wanted to put your John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence?🚨 NOT THAT ONE, Officer Bowie. 🚨(Seriou...
06/11/2026

Have you ever wanted to put your John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence?

🚨 NOT THAT ONE, Officer Bowie. 🚨

(Seriously, please don't sign our rare historic copy.)

Instead, come experience Words That Made a Nation, our special exhibition celebrating America's 250th anniversary.

Explore a rare historic copy of the Declaration of Independence, discover artifacts and stories that connect Bangor directly to the American Revolution, and discover how the ideas that shaped a nation continue to inspire us today.

And while you can't sign the Declaration, you can add your name to the Bangor Historical Society's 250th Anniversary Declaration and snap a photo to commemorate your visit.

You can't sign the original—but you can become part of the story.

Come make your mark on history at the Bangor Historical Society. We are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm. Check out our events page for the latest on special tours, lectures, and more!

Thank you to our exhibit sponsors Versant Power and The City of Bangor, Maine - Commission on Cultural Development.

Did you know?This Hammond Street home was built by George Rice in 1893. Rice was a "joiner"--what we would call a "skill...
06/10/2026

Did you know?
This Hammond Street home was built by George Rice in 1893. Rice was a "joiner"--what we would call a "skilled carpenter" today. In 1860 he was noted in the Mayor's Annual Report as one of the contractors for a new school building next the the City Farm.

Did you know?This home, now an office building known as Crosby House, was built in 1866 by Edward Connors and his wife, ...
06/07/2026

Did you know?
This home, now an office building known as Crosby House, was built in 1866 by Edward Connors and his wife, Ellen Field Connors on property owned by her father (she wouldn't inherit the property until 1872).

Ellen was the sister of Teddy Field. Teddy left Bangor in 1851 for the California Gold Rush. He and his partner, also an Irishman from Bangor, James O'Donahue, founded Allison Ranch, one of the most valuable mining properties in California.

Teddy returned to Bangor, a rich man, in 1865 and died shortly after at the age of 33.

Ellen and Edward sold the State Street home to John Crosby in 1873, the year of the financial panic.

Crosby owned the home until 1876 when he sold it to the Home for Aged Women.

Did You Know?On this day in 1944, Operation Overlord began when 156,000 allied troops were involved in airborne and amph...
06/06/2026

Did You Know?
On this day in 1944, Operation Overlord began when 156,000 allied troops were involved in airborne and amphibious landings in Normandy, France . D-Day, as it would become known, is the largest seaborne invasion in history. Casualties for both sides would total near 20,000 men.
Bangor native, Donald Yates, served as the director of weather service for the Strategic Air Forces in Europe which would help General Eisenhower make weather decisions leading up to D-Day.

Relics of the Revolution:This spade is made of iron and has a hole in the end for a handle. This one was used by Captai...
06/05/2026

Relics of the Revolution:
This spade is made of iron and has a hole in the end for a handle. This one was used by Captain Thomas F. Cummings at Bunker Hill around June 16, 1775, to dig entrenchments. His descendants lived in Prospect, Maine. To continue to support the Bangor Historical Society, go to our website and learn more about becoming a member.

06/04/2026

Our Best of Bangor Walking Tour scheduled for June 18th is cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience.

06/03/2026

If you were to make a time capsule for the 300th anniversary of the United States, what would you put in it?
We asked local historians what they would put in the time capsule! Comment below what you would put in a time capsule. Visit the Hill House this summer and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States with us! Thank you to Sean Cox and David Coombs from the Cole Land Transportation Museum, local historian Richard Shaw and Bangor Historical Society curator Matt Bishop.

Address

159 Union Street
Bangor, ME
04401

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

(207) 942-1900

Website

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