Historical society receives $4,100 grant

Funds will help get Parish House Museum wired

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

BROWNVILLE — The Brownville-Brownville Junction Historical Society recently received a $4,164 grant from the Maine Community Foundation, with the funds earmarked for improvements to the society’s Parish House Museum on Church Street.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

HISTORICAL SOCIETY GRANT — The Brownville-Brownville Junction Historical Society recently received a grant for over $4,100 from the Maine Community Foundation to help with improvements to the Parish House Museum on Church Street. Pictured at the museum are, from left, society Treasurer Marilyn Kindamo, Vice President George Dean and board member Lynn Weston.

“We are hoping to get Internet access here and get a computer for visitors to use and another computer for staff to use to put all we have into a database,” Brownville-Brownville Junction Historical Society board member Lynn Weston, who wrote the grant application, said about the use of some of the awarded funds. Weston said a scanner — which would be used to make copies of glass images among other tasks — new printer, museum shelving and additional fire extinguisher are among other possible grant fund purchases.

“There’s so much stuff we just don’t have room to display,” Weston said, as the Brownville-Brownville Junction Historical Society volunteers are working to move the organization forward. “We hope drum up more members and more interest,” she said, with the renewed interest including greater involvement with students such as those at the nearby Brownville Elementary School.

Recently-elected society Vice President George Dean said a sign for the Parish House Museum will be placed by the Church Street/Route 11 intersection. “If you want to know if we are open look for the sign to see if we are here,” he said with the museum open on Tuesday and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Other times can be scheduled by contacting President Susan Worcester at 965-8070.

Dean explained the museum is full of “a lot of old history,” such as topographical maps and the oral histories from now deceased residents gathered by local author and historian Bill Sawtell.

Dean said a former Brownville Junction resident Ken Hatchette is currently working to detail all the properties owned by the Canadian Pacific Railroad in the community. “That’s going to be quite a project,” Dean said, as Hatchette is also exploring the benefits and modernizations brought to town during the railroad’s years of operation.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

PARISH HOUSE MUSEUM — The Brownville-Brownville Junction Historical Society is located at 72 Church Street in Brownville and is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The museum, which was acquired by the historical society in 1996, was built in 1839 as the Methodist Episcopal Church and was located near the Crocker Quarry. In 1850 the structure was moved by rolled logs to the current location.