Pejepscot History Center

159 Park Row, Brunswick, Maine 04011

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Discover your place in time. Pejepscot History Center, the fourth oldest local history organization in the State of Maine, tells the community stories of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell. Our two house museums, the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum and the Skolfield-Whittier House are just a six-minute walk apart, and bring the 19th century to life. Seasoned docents and seasonal exhibits share stories for visitors young and old, revealing how history influences our lives today.

Adaptation and Resistance: Alnôbak Before 1500

Adaptation and Resistance: Alnôbak Before 1500

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Adaptation and Resistance: Monumental Change

Adaptation and Resistance: Monumental Change

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Adaptation and Resistance: Settlement and Violence

Adaptation and Resistance: Settlement and Violence

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Adaptation and Resistance: The "Disappearance" of the Abenaki

Adaptation and Resistance: The "Disappearance" of the Abenaki

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Labor of Love: Children & Art Education

Labor of Love: Children & Art Education

Benjamin Franklin was the first to advocate for art education in his book Proposed Hints For An Academy, published in 1792. At the time, training the eye and hand was seen as a technical skill that supported industry and taught a form of self-discipline. Although Massachusetts first instituted the arts as part of the general education program in 1860, national support didn’t arrive until the 1880s with the creation of the National Education Association’s Department of Art. Studies on art’s ability to develop general creative thinking, advance development in cognition, as well as increasing emotional growth continued to be published throughout the late 19th century to the mid-20th. However, this was stunted when a Cold War act emphasizing academic programs that would help the war effort, focusing on math, science, and physical education was passed. Despite this, children's art exchange programs continued to foster peace and friendship even in tense political situations. Programs like Art for World Friendship and countless studies examining the impact that the visual arts have on childhood and teenage emotional and cognitive development show the power art and art education have to create bridges across even the largest divides. Photographs and drawings from Pejepscot History Center’s collections give us a glimpse into how art education has progressed in local schools since the mid-20th century. With detailed information about how art teachers prioritized the work and the development of the students, despite not always having the funds or space to do so to their full ability, we can see how important art was to those educators. Creating and appreciating art in a classroom setting not only benefits students’ social, emotional, and cognitive well-being but allows them to communicate in a new way and find solace in the midst of sometimes overwhelming educational and social pressures at school. As generations have only become lonelier and more isolated, group creative outlets are of ever-growing importance. This section depicts students creating and exhibiting art - allowing them to feel more connected to themselves, their peers, and the greater community around them.
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Labor of Love: Community Based Art

Labor of Love: Community Based Art

As we age and enter the “real world,” driven by a need to accumulate at least a certain amount of wealth, uphold appearances, and provide for ourselves, finding time to connect to the community or even to connect deeper to ourselves can feel like an impossible feat. However, the impacts of prolonged creativity, especially in group settings, are well-noted. Not only are older adults at higher risk for social isolation and loneliness due to changes in health and social connections, but as the world we live in changes, even young adults are facing an epidemic of loneliness, social isolation, and disconnection. an art help push back against these trends? Humans have been creating communal art since we first began interacting with each other. The items in this section of the exhibit show ways that communal art can create community and strengthen connections. From painting to quilt making, across all ages, these photos show how creating art and crafts not only connects people, but in some cases continue to connect you to and immortalize those who have passed. This section highlights artists of all abilities, focusing specifically on how art is and can be used to rival the ever-increasing isolation and disconnection in today's world.
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Labor of Love: Creating Art and Community

Labor of Love: Creating Art and Community

Artmaking has the ability to serve as a bridge for understanding, a way to form communities by connecting people and wider surroundings. As we find ourselves in a world marked by evergrowing depersonalization, isolation, and increased crisis, is creating art and therefore fostering a sense of community and connection one of the ways to fight back? This exhibit aims to expand notions of the function of art and its potential functions in today’s world. Through examining photos, paintings, and archival objects representing artists across all ranges of age, ability, and other societal markings, we’ll explore how influential art has been in creating connections and making the Pejepscot region communities places of belonging.
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Labor of Love: Local Working Artists & Connection

Labor of Love: Local Working Artists & Connection

Maine’s rocky shores, pine forests, towering mountains, and vivid skies have long attracted artists. Drawn to the reserved nature of the state, renowned artists of the 20th century like Edward Hopper (1882-1967) and Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) hunkered down for summers on the Maine coast, letting their brushes guide the way through the warm months. While Maine’s bountiful landscapes served as a guiding light for some artists, photographer Walker Evans (1903-1975) found his muses in Mainers and their homes. Although these artists used Maine’s land and community as a simple stop for inspiration in the greater scheme of their artistic endeavors and adventures, some artists not only found inspiration here, but a home. Although local artists like Forrest Orr (1895-1972) and Edythe Laws(1922-1984) were much more accustomed to Maine’s natural landscape than visiting artists, it never stopped being a place of wonder for them. Their connection and love for the land is palpable in almost every piece of art they created. Depicting Maine’s natural beauty connected them to their home - planting roots in the soil and the community surrounding their work. Sylvia Wyler(1963-) expressed the importance of community by opening a pottery shop to be more intertwined with the town. On the other hand, the physical land was the most crucial point of connection for the art that botanist Kate Furbish created in Maine. Furbish dedicated herself to classifying, depicting, and connecting to the verdant nature surrounding her. Painter Stephen Etnier (1903-1984) did not originally call Maine home, but after summers spent in Harpswell, he retreated there to spend his days painting the idyllic scenes of the Maine coast. These artists are remembered for their impact on the Maine art scene and their individual communities, continuing to inspire young artists (and scientists, in Furbish’s case) across the state.
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Photograph Collection

Photograph Collection

Welcome to Pejepscot History Center's online photo archive! These photos have been digitized and cataloged by our amazing volunteers over the course of several years. If you can identify an unidentified person in a photo, or want to make us aware of an error in our catalog record, please email outreach@pejepscot.org. Open to Collaborate Notice: Our institution is committed to the development of new modes of collaboration, engagement, and partnership with Indigenous peoples for the care and stewardship of past and future heritage collections.
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