Newcastle Maine Historical Society

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Newcastle Maine Historical Society

Established in 1998, the Newcastle Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the stories, images, artifacts and memorabilia of our town.

Our museum is open Saturdays in July and August.

05/21/2026

The alewives are running and the harvest has begun! The harvest crew works for 2-3 hours beginning at 5:00 am and 3:00 pm Monday - Friday. The B&W photo is from 1942 and the color one was taken Tuesday.

04/22/2026

Help! This photograph of 6 children was given to the town of Newcastle in 1971 by Vera Tukey. There is no information on it. Does anyone know who the kids are? They look like siblings.

03/24/2026

In honor of Women’s History Month, NHS would like to recognize Newcastle children’s author Mary C. Jane. Born in 1909 in Needham, MA, Mary was married at St. Andrew’s and moved to Newcastle in 1937 where she had family roots. She and her husband William lived and raised their 2 sons on Pump Street and from 1955 to 1970 she wrote 16 mysteries, mostly set in Maine, including Mystery at Pemaquid Point and Mystery in Longfellow Square. Mary died in 1991 and is buried at Pine Knoll Cemetery.

01/22/2026

Row, row, row your goat! 🎶 Does anyone know the story behind this photo? This is Melanie Geisler of Jefferson and her goat Ezekiel in August 1967.

10/10/2025

The museum is open 10-2 tomorrow (Saturday) for the final time until Memorial Day next May. We will also be having a silent auction of 5 antique deacon’s benches (9’ and 7’ long) that used to reside in Newcastle’s town office. They need a bit of work, but are unique and part of our history. Stop by if interested!

08/25/2025

Next Wednesday, Sept. 3rd, Carol Gardner will tell us about 3 ships built in Newcastle & Damariscotta which ended up illegally transporting kidnapped Africans to the Americas as slaves. How did this happen and who was responsible? Please join us at 7:00 pm in the community room of the Newcastle fire station at 86 River Rd. Image shows the barque Orion, built in Sheepscot in 1846, being captured by the HMS Pluto with 880 enslaved persons aboard. Image courtesy of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London.

08/03/2025

This Wednesday, Aug. 6th, Dr. Warren Riess will discuss the history of the Penobscot Expedition (Patriots sailed from Boston to attack a new British fortification at what is now Castine) with special attention to the people involved with the privateer “Defense”, including its archaeological excavation and the artifacts that were found. Please join us at 7:00 pm in the community room of the Newcastle fire station at 86 River Rd. “Destruction of the American Fleet at Penobscot Bay” by Dominic Serres c. 1779.
Expedition War

07/15/2025

Saturday July 19 the History of Shipbuilding Along the Damariscotta River will be highlighted at our museum from 10-2 as well as at the Damariscotta Historical Society and the Chapman-Hall House from 12-4. Stop by to see photos and learn about the vast shipbuilding industry in the area from the 1700s to the 1900s. Portrait of the ship Norris built in Damariscotta in 1874 courtesy of the Peabody-Essex Museum.

07/08/2025

This Wednesday, July 9th, at 7:00 pm in the community room of the Newcastle fire station at 86 River Rd., Mike Dekker will discuss Maine’s mid-coast Loyalists during the American Revolution. These Loyalists had differing motivations, experiences and outcomes from their choices. Mike will highlight the lives of multiple Loyalists and share this complex local history. Please join us. “The Death of Major Pierson” by John Singleton Copley (in public domain)

06/02/2025

Murder, Mayhem, and Mastery — 3 True Newcastle Sea Captain Stories Gleaned from the Glidden Papers. These wonderful stories were researched and are presented by Karen Paz this Wednesday at 7:00 pm in the Community room of the Newcastle fire station on River Road. All are welcome, refreshments will be served, and donations are appreciated. Hope you can join us.

03/17/2025

No shamrocks or pots of gold but this is Newcastle’s St. Patrick’s! The photo was taken by John F. Littlefield for a post card before 1892 because that’s when the current belfry roof replaced the one in this photo.

Address

PO Box 482
Newcastle, ME
04553

Website

http://nhsmaine.org/

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