The Museum’s History
In
1822 the U.S. Congress appropriated $3000 to be used in constructing a
lighthouse and keeper’s dwelling atop a hill on Monhegan Island. The
light, rising 170 feet above the high-tide line, had ten lamps with
16-inch reflectors, a Welsbach mantel fired by sperm oil, and a weight-powered rotary mechanism. Thomas B. Seavey, the first keeper of
the light, moved into the keeper’s house with his family on July 2,
1824. read more ...
For many
years people had dreamed of a Monhegan Museum, and these vacant
buildings, themselves historically significant, represented an ideal
solution. read more...
In 1970 one outbuilding was renovated to display ice cutting equipment
and other materials relevant to the history of ice cutting on Monhegan.
The following year another outbuilding was converted into a replica of
a Monhegan fish house. read more...
By
the early 1990s, the museum’s collections had grown to the point where
additional display and storage space was sorely needed. An assistant
light keeper’s house and accompanying storage shed had been built on
the property in 1858 but were torn down in the 1920s when they were no
longer needed. read more ...
In 2004, longtime Monhegan summer resident Anne M. Hubert bequeathed to the museum her home and studio on Monhegan. read more...
From the time the Museum was conceived, countless people have volunteered their time and skills and have contributed valuable objects related to Monhegan’s history. They number well into the hundreds, and while too numerous to mention individually, their support is greatly appreciated. From the beginning, the Museum has relied heavily on donations made at the door by visitors, who number about six thousand per year. Modest dues from Association members now supplement contributions made at the door.
