The Milbridge Historical Society Museum
Milbridge, Maine
207-

The Milbridge Historical Society's Museum is owned and operated by the Milbridge Historical Society, a private, non-profit corporation. There is no admission charge, but donations are welcome to help support the ongoing programs of the museum. School groups are especially welcome.

This Summer at the museum: "Claimed By The Sea"

Join the Milbridge Museum this season and for their new display "Claimed By The Sea". Here you can browse through an extensive collection of shipwreck artifacts that are on loan to the museum by Mr. Donald Bayrd.  Don has been gathering and documenting various historic wreck sites around the Milbridge and Downeast area for many years. He has a large collection and has amassed fascinating information the pieces on display. To augment this collection, the museum has also drawn from their archives, historic photos and stories of various wrecks and ships.

Programs and Events

Throughout the season, the Milbridge Historical Museum is host to a variety of programs that are available to the public.  There are monthly speaker presentations given by locals and others.  Topics and varied and wide ranging and present a good opportunity to learn about our area.

The Museum also operates a gift shop where you can find anything from tee-shirts to posters and more; and is host to monthly art exhibits which feature many of the area's talented artists.


The Ruggles House
Columbia Falls, Maine
207-483-4637
www.ruggleshouse.org

The Ruggles House, designed by housewright Aaron S. Sherman of Marshfield, Massachusetts, was built 1818-1820 for Judge Thomas Ruggles, a wealthy lumber dealer, postmaster, captain of the local militia and Justice of the Court of Sessions for Washington County. This particularly lovely example of Adamesque style Federal period architecture is remarkable for its location as well as its survival.

The house is renowned for its flying staircase, which comprises almost a third of the house. Intricate woodwork, crafted by Massachusetts carver, Alvah Peterson, is especially abundant in the west parlor.

The Ruggles House was lived in for 100 years, until 1920, by three generations of the Ruggles family. By then the house was in quite a state of disrepair. Through the diligence of Ruggles descendent, Mary Ruggles Chandler, restoration efforts began in the 1920's and were completed in 1951 when the house first opened for tours. The house museum is supported and maintained by the Ruggles House Society, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, through voluntary contributions.

Many of the furnishings in the house are original Ruggles pieces, some that never left the house and many that have returned over the years. All other furnishings are period to when the Ruggles family was in residence.

Thank you sponsors