Founded:
In April 1975, the Westbrook City Council Planning and Development Committee held a meeting to form a historical society, responding to concerns that there was no place in the city to preserve historical relics and artifacts and there was no organization charged with this interest and responsibility.
Thus, the Westbrook Historical Society was formed.
Mission:
The purposes of this Society are to bring together those people interested in the history of Westbrook, Maine, and to discover, collect, and preserve any materials and objects that establish and illustrate the history of the area.
The Society shall make all such materials and objects accessible for viewing or study on the premises. The Society shall arouse interest in the past by holding meetings open to the general public, by marking historic buildings, sites, etc. and by using other media to gain public interest in Westbrook history.
Collections:
The Collection includes displays of many photographs, documents and artifacts relative to the history of the City and the People of Westbrook.
Among the collections are city ledgers, dating to before the Civil War; a "talent collection" pertaining to local artisans; collections relating to local artists and writers; various items relating to the Civil War, vital statistics, genealogy materials, copies of the "History of Westbrook" published in the Narragansett Sun; the Rudy Vallee Collection; and information about cemeteries, school, neighborhoods, and buildings.
Facilities:
The Society originally was housed in the old Westbrook High School on Main Street. In 2001, it moved to a larger facility on the second floor of the Stephen W. Manchester Post 62 on Dunn Street where the collection continued to grow.
In January 2012 the Society moved again to the Westbrook Community Center at 426 Bridge St (the former Wescott Jr. High School building.) The collection is now handicap accessible and housed on the ground floor.
Activities:
View Society website