PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Presque Isle Historical Society was founded in 1963 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Although the society’s mission remains much the same today as it was in its beginning — to study, preserve and promote the history, culture, heritage and physical artifacts of Presque Isle for present and future generations — its programs and services have grown significantly, especially in the last few years.
One major announcement for its golden anniversary is recognition of its “Volunteer of the Year.” The society’s board of directors is very pleased to announce that Craig Green has been chosen as the first annual Volunteer of the Year. Green has been a member of the organization for numerous years and has served as president of the board since June of 2009.
In addition, Green has been extremely active in a wide variety of the programs being offered by the group over the years. He has played a major role this past year with the acquisition of Molly the Trolley and has helped to make it a very successful program for the society. Green has also made a huge impact with his financial support of the Historic Fire Station. Green contributes close to $200 a month to help heat the fire station every winter with wood pellets and checks the pellet stove on a daily basis. During the summer months, he mows the Maysville Grange lawn, and in the winter, he plows the fire station and the Estey House.
The historical society currently owns three properties. In 1994, the organization acquired its first property when local resident Vera Estey donated her house on Third Street, built in 1875 within the parameters of the original land grant establishing Presque Isle, to be operated as a house museum. The holdings were expanded in 2001 when ownership of the historic fire station passed from the city to the group. In 2011, the organization was proactive in saving a local historic site by raising capital with which to purchase the former Maysville Grange building.
The Historic Fire Station will eventually be renovated to serve as a cultural center and museum focusing on Presque Isle. The center will offer a history research library, a small theater area for viewing historic footage, an area for storage and acquisition of artifacts, office space, and exhibit area. The cost of the renovations has been estimated at $2 million.
“To date, the exterior brickwork has been restored, energy efficient windows have been installed, some interior demolition has been completed, and the three arched wooden doors have been replicated and installed,” said Kimberly Smith, secretary/treasurer for the historical society. “Before any additional renovations can take place, full engineering plans must be drawn up and the remainder of the funds must be raised.”
Over the past summer, several renovation and upgrade projects were undertaken at the Vera Estey House in preparation for this year’s anniversary celebration.
“The back bedroom on the second floor, once occupied by Vera’s grandparents and primarily used for storage, has become a wonderful exhibit area on John R. Braden and for the society’s textile collection,” said Smith. “The middle parlor has been rearranged to better showcase the artifacts in that area, and one of the other storage areas has been converted to a small gift shop.”
As part of the anniversary celebration, the house museum will kick off the society’s tour season with a special Champagne & Candlelight Tour Saturday, March 23. This event is also in recognition of National Women’s History Month in partnership with the Presque Isle Library and the Reed Gallery at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Reservations for this special tour will be required and tickets are $10 per person. In addition, guided tours of the house are scheduled for once a month from April to October during 2013.
In the fall of 2010, a retired military man from Arizona visited the area while attempting to trace his ancestry. He found that he was related to one of the 13 men from Maysville involved in the “Incident of Arnold’s Cow,” thought by some historians to be one of the catalysts for Maine’s involvement in the Aroostook War between Maine (the U.S.) and New Brunswick (England) over land and timber rights in 1839. His visit was the spark that inspired the historical society to raise the capital to purchase the former Maysville Grange building. The property was deteriorating and for sale. It was feared that if the society didn’t step in that yet another local historic site would be lost.
The building at one time served simultaneously as the Maysville Town Hall, the Maysville School and the Maysville Grange. The plan is to renovate the building to serve as a museum on Maysville, the Aroostook War, the two local Granges, and as a tribute to the 21 one-room schoolhouses that at one time served Presque Isle. Maysville was annexed by Presque Isle in 1883.
“By completing this smaller museum project and getting it open, the society will meet the eligibility requirements for a large federal grant program,” said Smith. “Application can then be made for these funds to use in the renovations of the historic fire station. The overall renovations to the Maysville Museum are estimated at $200,000 which will be done in phases. The first phase will hopefully begin this summer and will include repairs to the exterior wall, new siding, and a new roof.”
In the past few years, new programs such as the annual historic calendar, participation and active leadership roles in the Northern Maine Fair’s Historic Pavilion, a Guided Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Presque Isle, the Self-Guided Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Presque Isle featuring green placards at 28 points around downtown, the local history lecture series featuring free presentations on over 50 topics, and the Haunted Lantern Tours have been added to the society’s offerings.
Molly the Trolley made her debut in the Star City in October of 2011 and had a vastly expanded tour season in 2012 including a very popular charter schedule, narrated citywide tours, and fall foliage tours. The last two years have also seen a renewed dedication to actively engage area youth in local history with participation in the eighth-grade “Amazing Race,” presentations to local schools on topics such as “Presque Isle & the Civil War” and “Victorian Christmas Traditions,” and beginning in 2011, sixth-grade city-wide tours on Molly the Trolley.
A new historical offering will be debuting for the 50th anniversary — guided walking tours of the historic Fairmount Cemetery. These one-hour tours, which will be offered once a month from May to October weather permitting, will begin May 10 and will touch on the origins of the cemetery, the Victorian influence, and will include information on approximately 30 people from Presque Isle’s past. Two other programs are currently in the planning phases — a Summer History Camp for youth ages 8 to 12, and Estey Garden Weddings.
The first planned event for 2013 is a special free presentation open to the public on “Teddy Roosevelt in Aroostook County,” which will be held in the Edmunds Conference Room at Northern Maine Community College Tuesday, March 5 beginning at 5:30 p.m. This presentation features authentic Roosevelt artifacts from the society’s collections.
For more information on this and other society programs and dates of other upcoming events, please contact the organization at P.O. Box 285, Presque Isle, Maine 04769, by phone at (207) 762-1151, by e-mail at pihistoricalsociety@hotmail.com or view the website at www.pihistory.org. Tax-deductible contributions to the Presque Isle Historical Society can also be made through those contacts.
