Bailey's Store has been transformed into the Harpswell Historical Society Archives and Museum

The Harpswell Historical Society was formed in 1979 with the intent to serve the town as a repository for history and artifacts and as a caretaker of the old town records.  For the first 20 years of its existence, the Society was without a building to serve as its home.  In the Spring of 2001, however, the Society reached a turning point and purchased the former Bailey’s Store at Harpswell Center.  This Harpswell landmark has become the centerpiece for the Society’s collections. The first floor houses displays reflecting each of the town’s varied communities at Bailey Island, Orr’s Island, East Harpswell/Great Island, Cundy’s Harbor, Harpswell Neck, Birch Island and Haskell’s Island.  It also has displays showing the fishing and shipbuilding heritage of the area and a genealogy section with reference material and a collection of family histories.  In addition, the Museum houses a climate controlled fireproof archival vault for town records, a rotating exhibit of paintings, an early 20th century kitchen, furniture and military uniform collections, and a number of large pieces of farming equipment and carriages.  In the future, the second floor will become storage, office space and a workroom where conservation and preservation of artifacts will be done.  A small photographic copying facility will be on this floor.  An elaborate security system protects the Museum and its contents and enables the Society to borrow artifacts from other institutions for short term display.  

If you would like more information about the Museum and Archives, or if you would like to volunteer to help the renovation of the Museum or contribute to the Museum in other ways, please contact David Hackett at 207-833-6322 or Burr Taylor at 207-725-2802 or harpshistory@gmail.com

See some exhibits in the Museum here