Winthrop’s first historical center to celebrate grand opening Saturday

WINTHROP — After sitting in storage for several years, hundreds of artifacts collected by the Winthrop Maine Historical Society are now displayed at a building purchased by the organization earlier this year.

To celebrate the occasion, the organization will have a grand opening ceremony of the town’s first historical center, called the Winthrop History and Heritage Center, on Saturday during the town’s annual Sidewalk Art Festival from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The grand opening also happens to fall on the town’s 250th anniversary.

The building, which was formerly used by KeyBank, is located at 107 Main St.

Mary Richards, who is co-chairperson of the WMHS Public Relations Committee with Penny Pray, said the organization started fundraising for the 2,596 square foot building in November 2020, shortly after it became available.

From there, they set a $150,000 fundraising goal, with $100,000 going toward the purchase of the building and $50,000 for renovations. As of Monday, the group has raised $110,000.

She said the purchase of a building to store historical artifacts for public viewing has been one of the historical society’s goals since it was re-formed over a decade ago in 2010.

“We’ve always wanted to have a place to store the artifacts so people could see them,” she said. “KeyBank was for sale, and we were looking for buildings around town, and that one seemed to be the most appropriate.”

Richards said the historical society had also formed and disbanded in the past, with the last iteration of the group discontinuing in 1995. In the late 1970s, she said the organization was close to obtaining a building, but the opportunity fell through.

Until the organization bought the building in February, historical artifacts were stored at the former Carleton Woolen Mill, also located on Main Street.

Richards said that while she was unsure of just how many individual artifacts the group has collected, the total number is likely more than 1,000. One of the organization’s upcoming goals is to use museum software PastPerfect to enter all of the data for their collection and determine the exact number of artifacts.

Among the artifacts in their collection are photographs from prolific photographer Roland LaVallee, who took pictures throughout the mid-20th century for nearly 50 years. He also did freelance work for the Kennebec Journal and Lewiston Sun Journal.

Richards said a picture of LaVallee is prominently showing in the display room of the building. She said that while the historical society is in possession of some of his photos, most are still owned by the town of Winthrop.

Artifacts also include a quilt made by a congregational church women’s group in 1971 to celebrate the town’s 200th anniversary, and an old map that shows how Winthrop and other towns were divided up before Maine became a state.

The oldest item in their collection is a copy of “A Brief History of Winthrop: From 1764 to 1855,” written by David Thurston and published in 1855.

Winthrop Maine Historical Society members have been preparing the inside of their new home on Main Street for Saturday’s grand opening celebration. Society President Lynda Pratt, right, and member Mary Richards can be seen in the background Tuesday. Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal

The historical society spent months working with volunteers and contractors and has mostly finished renovations to the main area of the building.

Work included removing all bank teller stations, reworking the floor plan, adding an Americans with Disabilities Act-complaint bathroom on the main floor, removing asbestos, updating wiring, replacing broken lights, fixing floors and ensuring the handicap lift works properly.

Looking ahead, they still need to work on the downstairs area, as well as the exterior.

“The downstairs has not been done, and that’s where we’ll be doing the office work,” she said. “There’s a kitchen and a storage unit, so we’ll need to finish that off.”

And for the exterior, she said they will be pointing — or repairing mortar joints — in the bricks, and then painting them. Richards said the Elsie & William Viles Foundation in Augusta recently donated $12,000 to help with the outside work.

Throughout the week, the group will be preparing a gift shop, which will offer items related to the town of Winthrop ranging from books to T-shirts and hats.

The new location of the Winthrop Maine Historical Society on Main Street in Winthrop. A grand opening celebration is planned for Saturday. Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal

In addition to the other offerings at the town’s Sidewalk Art Festival — which include a plethora of artists, crafters, painters, potters, and photographers — local author Ben Thomas will also be at the grand opening selling a newly written book, with all of the proceeds going directly to the historical society.

Anyone interested in donating to the historical society can do so by sending a letter to “WMHS” at P.O. Box 33, Winthrop, ME 04364. Richards asks that all checks be made out to the WMHS, with “building fund” in the memo line. Donations can also be made online via the organization’s GoFundMe page. All donations are fully tax-deductible.

“We just want to let people know that this is a community asset,” said Richards. “This building belongs to the whole town of Winthrop. It’s theirs to enjoy.”