Please check here often as we announce our 2023 season plans, as well as on the individual event pages of this website.  You can also email us or call us at (207) 326-4118.

We continue to thank our members, supporters and visitors who are scattered across the country and world, for your ongoing support of the Castine Historical Society.

UPDATES:

All exhibits, events, and tours are free. Pre-registration is required for Zoom lectures and some events as noted. To register, visit the page for the event or call 207-326-4118.

June 5–October 9: “Clark Fitz-Gerald: Castine’s Celebrated Sculptor-in-Residence” Last year’s exhibit refreshed with new sculptures by Castine’s Clark Fitz-Gerald (1917-2004).

June 23–October 9: Castine Uncovered Walking Tours. Friday, Saturday, & Monday, 10:00 a.m. Hour-long tours begin at the CHS Abbott School building. No reservations required.

Thursday, April 20: “Maine’s Black History”, 7:00 p.m. A talk via Zoom on three centuries of Maine’s Black history by historian and journalist Bob Greene.

Thursday, May 4: “The Place Justice Initiative: A Statewide Truth-seeking and Historical Recovery Initiative of the Permanent Commission”, 7:00 p.m. A talk via Zoom by Meadow Dibble and Erika Arthur of Maine’s Place Justice Project.

Thursday, May 18: “Uncovering the Legacies of Castine’s African Americans”, 7:00 p.m. A talk via Zoom on the hidden stories of Castine’s African American population from enslavement to the early 20th century by CHS Executive Director Lisa Simpson Lutts.

Thursday, June 22: “The Singular Life of Mary Tyler Jackson”, 7:00 p.m. A talk via Zoom on two generations of Castine’s African American Jackson family by local author and historian, Georgia Zildjian.

Saturday, June 24: 2023 Season Open House, 4:00-6:00 p.m. Join us for a free reception and viewing of the new exhibits. Refreshments served.

Wednesday, June 28: Stakeholder Meeting/Presentation, 6:30 -8:00 p.m. Join us via Zoom for this professionally facilitated meeting to discuss future plans of CHS. We want to hear what YOU want to see in a permanent exhibit on Castine’s history.

Thursday, June 29: “Castine: Occupation, Accommodation, Collaboration, and Treason in the War of 1812″, 7:00 p.m. Hosted by the Castine History Partners, this talk by Dr. Joshua Smith focuses on the 1814 British occupation of Castine with stories of traitors, smugglers, and spies. Via Zoom and in-person at the Wilson Museum’s Hutchins Education Center, 112 Perkins St.

Tuesday, July 11: “Portland’s Abyssinian Meeting House and Its Ties to the Underground Railroad”, 5:30 p.m.  A talk on Portland’s African American meeting house and its surprising ties to Castine by Pamela Cummings, Board Chair, Abyssinian Meeting House. Via Zoom and in-person at Castine’s Emerson Hall, 67 Court St.

Thursday, August 10: The 14th Annual Deborah Pulliam Memorial Lecture, “Cargos of Despair: Northern New England and the Slave Trade”, 7:00 p.m. Dr. Kate McMahon of the Smithsonian Institution will deliver a lecture on New England and the slave trade. Via Zoom and in-person at Delano Auditorium, Leavitt Hall, Maine Maritime Academy, Castine.

Thursday, August 24: Annual Meeting and Program 4:00-6:00 p.m. Following a brief CHS business meeting CHS staff will give a show and tell on what’s new in the collection. Social hour to follow. Via Zoom and in-person at The Elms at Castine, 76 Battle Ave. Reservations required for both in-person and on-line at castinehistoricalsociety.org.

Thursday, September 7: “Abolition and the Underground Railroad in Maine,” 7:00 p.m. A lecture by Dr. Mary Freeman, University of Maine that explores slavery and emancipation in Maine, antislavery activism and the role of African Americans, and Underground Railroad myths. Via Zoom and in-person at Castine’s Emerson Hall, 67 Court St.

Saturday, October 14: Hidden Legacies: A Walking Tour of Castine’s African American History, 10:00 a.m. Join Georgia Zildjian and Lisa Lutts for an hour-long walking tour on Castine’s African American history. Reservations required and limited to 15 people. Rain date October 21.