About the BMCH

The Bangor Historical Society was established in 1864 by a group of 22 men led by Judge John Godfrey, who were interested in collecting, preserving and interpreting local history for the public. It is the second-oldest historical society in the state, the oldest being the Maine Historical Society in Portland. The Bangor Historical Society and the Bangor Public Library in the past shared storage and meeting space. Before the Great Fire of 1911, both organizations occupied a floor in a building on State Street, which is now the Bangor Savings Bank. Everything was destroyed during the Great Fire of 1911. A year after the fire, the Society opened in the new Bangor Public Library on Harlow Street. Residents began to donate their treasurers to the Society again, and by the 1950s the Society needed to move to a location that provided more space for the expanding collection. The Sons of Union Veterans, the caretakers of the GAR Memorial Home, the Thomas A. Hill House, agreed to let the Society use this house; the Society opened its new home to the public during the summer of 1953.

By 2002, the demands for storage and exhibit space compelled the Society to look for a new site once again. In June they opened their new museum at 6 State Street in downtown Bangor, adjacent to the University of Maine Museum of Art and near the Discovery Museum. This location afforded maximum visibility of exhibits and increased attendance at programs. At the same time, the Board of Directors changed the name of the organization to the BANGOR MUSEUM AND CENTER FOR HISTORY to more clearly reflect the Society's mission.

Within a few very short years, we were once again facing space issues. In June of 2005, Bill and Sally Arata offered the Museum a permanent home located at 25 Broad Street. We gratefully accepted their generous gift and moved from State Street to Broad Street in February of 2006. Upon completion of building renovations, we are hoping to have the museum open in June 2008.