New Gloucester Historical Society

This summer is going by so fast and the New Gloucester Historical Society has been keeping very busy: Avis Ford and her helpers provided the treats for Town Meeting in May, Kathie Anderson and her many volunteers had a very successful Strawberry Festival in June, and on July 4^th the Society had the annual reading of the Declaration of Independence, with several people attending.

President Beverly Cadigan, Diantha Grant, and Tom Blake spent many hours getting the History Barn ready for the opening of our new special exhibit, “THE FARM” ~ The Opportunity Farm 1910 – 2011.

For the debut on June 7^th, the doors of the History Barn opened to many visitors between 9:00 AM and noon with about 100 people attending. Many of them were past residents of the Opportunity Farm, spending time looking at the photo albums, videos and even enjoying coffee and fresh Thompson’s Orchards donuts, and a good time was had by all that attended the opening. DON’T MISS THIS REMARKABLE SPECIAL EXHIBIT OF WHAT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF NEW GLOUCESTER’S HISTORY.

The Society has copies of New Gloucester – Images of America by New Gloucester Historical Society curator Tom Blake, 2025 Historical Society Calendars, and still has some of the limited edition 2024 New Gloucester 250 celebration commemorative coins, all of which can be purchased at the History Barn. Meetings of the Historical Society are open to the public and are held on the third Thursday of the month at the New Gloucester Meeting house on Intervale Road (next to the Town Hall) at 7:00 P.M., and will resume in September.

If you are interested in the history of New Gloucester, please consider becoming a member of the New Gloucester Historical Society to assist with projects and to help gather and preserve New Gloucester history.

The History Barn and Meetinghouse Archives are open the 1^st Saturday of each month from 9:00 AM to noon. Please stop by and see the wonderful collection of the New Gloucester Historical Society and join us for our up-coming annual events:

Avis’s Apple Pie Sale
The Lighting of the Lower Village Christmas Tree “Tiny Timber”

Please click here for the New Gloucester Historical Society Membership Form.

History Information

The New Gloucester Historical Society maintains an archive of books, biographical and genealogical information, manuscripts, journals, and photographs pertaining to the history of New Gloucester, its residents, government, organizations, and architecture. In addition, the Historical Society owns and maintains the History Barn, which is open the 1^st Saturday each month from 9:00 A.M. to noon, where they display many artifacts relating to New Gloucester's past, and owns and maintains the Blockhouse site at 70 Gloucester Hill Road.

If you have questions about New Gloucester history or genealogy, or items to donate to the collections, please contact our Librarian/Archivist Linda Gard at linda.gard30@gmail.com or Curator Tom Blake at tsiblake@yahoo.com.

If you would like to receive quarterly email updates and occasional special notices, please email Beverly Cadigan at bjtc4ngmhs@gmail.com.

The New Gloucester Historical Society is a 501(c)3 organization and donations are tax deductible. If you would like to donate, please make checks payable to the New Gloucester Maine Historical Society and mail it to the New Gloucester Historical Society at PO Box 531, New Gloucester, Maine 04260.