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Bridgton Historical Society Receives "Conservation Bookshelf"

Treasured objects and artifacts held by the Bridgton Historical Society will be preserved for future generations with help from the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf, a core set of conservation books, DVDs, and online resources donated by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal funding of the nation’s museums and libraries. IMLS and its cooperator, the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), will award a total of 2,000 free sets of the IMLS Bookshelf by the end of 2008.

18th Annual Woodworkers & Artisans Show Seeks Exhibitors

The 18th Annual Woodowoerkers & Artisans Show will be held on Saturday and Sunday, July 12-13, at Narramissic, the society's historic farmstead in South Bridgton. If you are interested in participating in the show as an exhibitor, please contact us. For more details, see Woodworkers & Artisans Show in our Events section.

Mourning the loss of our friend, Bob Dunning

We were all terribly saddened to hear of the sudden death of Bob Dunning over the Thanksgiving holiday. Bob was one of the state's most talented preservation craftsmen. He has been one of the mainstays of the restoration of Narramissic since we acquired the property twenty years ago, and his passing leaves a void in our lives that will be hard to fill. Our hearts go out to his wife, Sally and their children Jessie and Dan.

Winter Hours

The museum does not have regular open hours during the off-season, but we will be happy to make an appointment if you wish to visit or use our research facilities. Call us 207-647-3699 or email info@bridgtonhistory.org. We are a largely-volunteer organization, so it may take a few days for us to get back to you. Please bear with us and accept our apologies for any inconvenience. Evelyn Lamb, 207-647-3759 will also be happy to assist with your genealogical inquiries. Narramissic is closed until the Spring.

Bridgton & Saco River RR Page

RR 3 - Small.jpg

Your webmaster has completed transferring all photos and text concerning the Narrow Gauge Railroad from the old BHS website. Please check out the new layout and visit some of the other links to other NGRR websites. The WW & FRY site is of particular interest as it includes a section on the B & SR RR in its discussion forum.

Bridgton Bicentennial Photos Needed

A video is being planned for documenting events from Bridgton's Bicentennial in 1968. Anyone who has photos from the Bicentennial that can be used for this video is asked to contact the museum at 207-647-3699 or via e-mail to info@bridgtonhistory.org.

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The Gibbs Avenue Museum

Bridgton has a rich and varied past as a farming community, a center for trade and industry, and, with the coming of the narrow-gauge railroad and the automobile, a destination for thousands of summer visitors. The former fire station on Gibbs Avenue (built in 1878) in downtown Bridgton houses the Bridgton Historical Society's Museum collections, archives, and research facilities. Special exhibits change each summer, and programs on Bridgton history and related topics are held throughout the year.

For a map/satellite view of the area around the Gibbs Avenue Museum, please visit this Google Earth link.

This 1911 Sears "Horseless Carriage" is just one of the many treasures you will find at the Bridgton Historical Society Museum on Gibbs Avenue , downtown Bridgton, Maine. The Carriage won 1st prize in t"The Horriles" Class at Bridgton's 1933 Old Home Days Parade.

Ongoing Exhibits and Collections

Ongoing exhibits and collections include items from, photos and information about the Bridgton and Saco Narrow Gauge Railroad which served the town from 1883 until 1941, a 1911 Sears Automobile, Bridgton's connection to the Civil War, and an unusual ca. 1870 hand-painted sleigh.

Special Exhibits and Collections

Summer 2007 Special Displays

This summer there will be special displays on old-time sports, particularly baseball and golf, including a Bridgton baseball uniform believed to be about one hundred years old and photographs and memorabilia loaned to the Society by the Country Club.

Bridgton Theaters of the Past

This special exhibit highlights the Riverside, Mayfair, State, Brookside, and Magic Lantern theaters in pictures and history, bringing back memories for many of us. Ned and Carol Allen arranged the exhibit from materials in the collection and those provided by Tom Watson. Bridgton is awaiting construction of a new Magic Lantern movie theater to be built sometime next year. In the meantime, come in and enjoy seeing artifacts from the movie theaters of the past.

Walt Bannon's Bottle Collection

Many bottles which Bridgton resident Walt Bannon unearthed in the local area are currently on display in the Museum.

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