Donating Items to the Bridgton Historical Society Collections

We obtain most of our collection of artifacts and documents through the generosity of members and the general public, and if you own items that you think might be appropriate for our collections we would love to hear from you.  Before contacting us you may wish to review the following guidelines:

¨     All items must support our mission of collecting artifacts and archival material related to the history and culture of Bridgton, Maine, and not duplicate other items already in the collection.

¨     Materials should be associated with individuals, buildings, businesses and other organizations with Bridgton connections. Occasionally, items of more general interest that support specific holdings or exhibits may be appropriate.  For example, we might be interested in an item related to our 1911 Sears automobile.

¨     Please be prepared to tell us as much as possible about the history of the item, and if possible, provide documentation related to its history and use.  The more we know about it, the more valuable it is to us.

¨     With extremely rare exceptions, gifts will be unconditional, and you will be required to transfer full title to the Bridgton Historical Society.

Appraisals:  The IRS considers it to be a conflict of interest for collecting institutions to supply monetary appraisals for items donated to their collections, so it is the donor’s responsibility to obtain such an appraisal.  If you need assistance in locating an appraiser, we can supply a list of individuals and firms to contact.  Please note that we supply this list as a service, and it should not be construed as an endorsement of any person or business.