Wednesday, June 10, 2009

EVENT: Maine Historical open house

This free event may be of interest to any of our readers that have been curious about the ongoing improvements at the Maine Historical Society here in Portland! There's also a nice article about the renovations in the Portland Press Herald.

WHAT: Grand Opening Celebration at Maine Historical Society -- Library Dedication, Campus Tours and Open House
WHEN: Saturday, June 27, 2009
WHERE: 489 Congress Street, Portland, Maine
COST: Free and open to the public.
FMI: call (207)774-1822 or visit www.mainehistory.org

This celebration marks the dedication of the MHS library as the Alida Carroll and John Marshall Brown Library. The Browns were prominent figures in 19th-century Maine and this dedication honors their devotion to Maine and its history. All events are free.

12:00 noon – 1:30 pm: Dedication of the Alida Carroll and John Marshall Brown Library

Under the tent adjacent to the Brown Library, 489 Congress St., Portland

Key note speaker Barry Mills, President, Bowdoin College, with Alan S. Taylor, Historian, University of CA; Karen Baldacci, First Lady of Maine; and Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr., State Historian. Music and refreshments.

10:00 am – 4:30 pm: Campus Tours and Open House throughout the day

Brown Library – Tour the library following its 2-year, $9.5 million renovation and expansion. While preserving the 1907 character of the building, the library has been transformed into a state-of-the-art research facility, housing the state’s largest and most comprehensive collections of materials related to Maine history.

Longfellow House – Visit the home of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Decorated with original furnishings and family memorabilia, the house offers a glimpse into the life of the poet, his family, and the cultural and social history of 19th-century Portland.

Longfellow Garden – Stroll through the Longfellow Garden. Closed for two years to accommodate the library’s renovation, the character and historic significance of the garden has been preserved and it has reopened to the public.

MHS Museum – View the new museum exhibition. "Re/Collected: Great Works and New Discoveries from the Brown Library" illuminates the depth and richness of the library’s collections, heralding MHS’s commitment to the history and heritage of Maine and its people.

The Phineas W. Sprague Memorial Foundation and the BHA Foundation have generously provided funding for the museum exhibition.

The Maine Historical Society preserves the heritage and history of Maine: the stories of Maine people, the traditions of Maine communities, and the record of Maine’s place in a changing world.

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