Gouldsboro Historical Society

11/26/2025

Hoping to send BJ off on his adventure soon!

The Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport is launching a major restoration of Big Jim, the 40-foot-tall fisherman statue that has stood as a coastal landmark since 1959. The project aims

11/11/2025

Big Jim featured last night on the Channel 5 news!

Fundraising campaign launched by Penobscot Marine Museum to restore Big Jim fisherman in Prospect Harbor back to original image

11/10/2025

11/10/2025

Big Jim may be packing his travel bag soon! After a summer of preparations, details, and waiting, WE'RE ON!!! Read all about it via the link below...
.. and so is the Penobscot Marine Museum's fundraising campaign to make it all happen!!! The sooner they have the funds, the sooner Big Jim will be off on his excellent adventure.

So Please Donate if you can -- go to their Big Jim webpage to donate online or to find the address to mail a check....

Bringing Big Jim Back to Life at PMM A Restoration Project Celebrating Maine’s Maritime Heritage Donate Help Us Restore Big Jim The Penobscot Marine Museum is leading a project to restore “Big Jim,” the 40-foot-tall Maine fisherman who has stood as a proud symbol of our coastal heritage for mo...

11/10/2025

WOW indeed! We're so glad Big Jim will be in your "hands" for his makeover!
WOW Collective we know you will treat the ol' guy gently, ladies! 😉

Announcing our next project…. A super exciting one, we’ll be on the team restoring BIG JIM with Penobscot Marine Museum!

✨Please share, we can use help raising the funds necessary for this large undertaking!✨

The Penobscot Marine Museum is leading a project to restore “Big Jim,” the 40-foot-tall Maine fisherman who has stood as a proud symbol of our coastal heritage for more than six decades.

In partnership with Bold Coast Seafood—the new owners of the former Stinson Cannery— and the Gouldsboro Historical Society, we’re breathing new life into this beloved roadside icon so that the story of Maine’s sardine industry and the generations who worked in it will never be forgotten.

The sardine industry was once the economic heart of Maine’s coastal communities, employing tens of thousands of people. Restoring Big Jim honors their work, their families, and the enduring spirit of the Maine coast.

This project isn’t just about preserving a sign—it’s about preserving a story.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
We can’t do it without you!
Your donation—large or small—will help fund materials, transport, restoration, and the talented Maine artists bringing Big Jim back to life.
Donate today and be part of Maine history in the making. Together, we’ll make sure Big Jim stands tall for generations to come.

DONATE

https://penobscotmarinemuseum.org/big-jim/

10/01/2025

Next Monday!
Don Ashmall tells the story of how the Town of Gouldsboro split into TWO towns.
Join us at the Prospect Harbor Women's Club, 7PM

09/30/2025

You can still contribute to Big Jim's "Trust Fund" via PayPal! Scan the QR code or follow the link in the comments below ...

09/02/2025

Coming up next week, Monday, September 8, see Corea as it was in the late 1940's -- we'll be showing the movie "Lobstertown" with comments and kibbutzing encouraged from the audience and special guests!
Mark your Calendar -- 7PM, Sept. 8, at Prospect Harbor Women's Club. Admission by Donation.

08/26/2025

WOW - Becky, Jennifer, and Selfie BJ are still here, but the Little Big Jim's have all found new homes!
MANY Thanks to the local artists who contributed their time and talent to produce such a wonderful array of LBJ's, and to those of you who came to look, bid, and donate (even if you didn't buy).
Thanks to ALL of you, Big Jim's "Trust Fund" for his future upkeep has topped $6,000!

08/23/2025

Time to place those bids! Auction CLOSES at 3PM!

08/22/2025

Open TODAY -- Noon - 4pm -- Come have a look, bid, take a selfie with/as Big Jim, snarf up some Swedish Fish!

08/21/2025

Bidding on the LBJs resumes TOMORROW (Friday, 8/22) at noon and closes at 3pm on SATURDAY. Prospect Harbor Womens Club, next to the Town Office, look for the signs out front!

Wonderful details woven into this work...