Castine Historical Society’s Annual Meeting and Talk Open to All

August 6th, 2019

Castine, Maine: The Castine Historical Society’s 2019 Annual Meeting and Program will be held on Thursday August 22, at 4 p.m. in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Castine at 86 Court Street in Castine. The meeting is free and open to the public and no reservations are required.  Light refreshments will be served following the meeting in the Parish House.

The program begins with a brief business meeting. During this time attendees can learn more about the Historical Society’s work in the area of exhibits, collection acquisitions, care of the buildings, marketing, fundraising, and finances.

Following the meeting, Christopher Timm, Curator of Exhibits for the Maine Maritime Museum, will give an illustrated talk called “Maine and the Caribbean: A Plantation? A Paradise?” Mr. Timm will discuss how Mainers have long traded with, fought over, and traveled to the Caribbean. He will look at how our view of the region changed over time, and what was the role of Maine’s ships and mariners.

The Annual Meeting program accompanies the Castine Historical Society’s 2019/2020 exhibit, Risky Business: Square-Rigged Ships and Salted Fish. The exhibit reveals that risks such as severe weather, slow communications, navigational hazards, competition for cargo and crew, illness, war, politics, and even pirates were all too real in the so-called glory days of sail. Castine’s captains, seamen, merchants, and their families accepted the risks of the commercial sailing business as they carried fish, cotton, and salt to and from distant ports, including the Caribbean, in Castine-built square-rigged ships.

The Castine Historical Society serves as a window into Castine’s extraordinary past. The Society preserves local history and hosts permanent and temporary exhibitions, lectures, town walking tours, house and garden tours, and historic reenactments. Exhibits are located in its Abbott School gallery at 17 School Street, Castine. The Grindle House offices and research library located at 13 School Street, Castine are open year-round and researchers are welcome by appointment.  The Historical Society’s exhibits are open daily from June 11 – September 3, Monday – Saturday, 10-4; Sunday, 1-4. Fall hours are September 8 – October 8, Friday, Saturday, Monday, 10-4; Sunday, 1-4. For more information visit castinehistoricalsociety.org, call 207-326-4118, or email info@castinehistoricalsociety.org .