BHSM News

Washington No. 5 postcardWinter 2010 | Washington No. 5
A recent inquiry to the Belfast Museum has brought to light a piece of Belfast’s fire fighting history. Mr. Jim Daly, volunteer at the Boston Fire Museum, was seeking information about a 19th century “hand tub” fire engine recently donated to the museum. His research about the engine uncovered that it had once been owned by Belfast, Maine.

Williamson’s History of Belfast yielded the information Mr. Daly was looking for. Indeed, Belfast had purchased the apparatus in 1865 from Charlestown, Mass. The engine, which had been built in 1851 by a Pawtucket, RI company, was put into service and named Washington No. 5. It is a “hand tub”, hand drawn pumper, suction engine type. Belfast was fortunate to purchase this engine as it was considered to be the best piece of fire fighting equipment in Maine. In addition to serving the department well, it was brought to fireman’s musters throughout the state and began to win first prize at every event. Manned by a team of one hundred men, Washington No. 5 could throw a stream of water two hundred feet.

The engine was sold by Belfast in 1891 and changed hands several more times until coming to the Boston Fire Museum in 2009. If you have a chance, stop by the museum and visit this piece of Belfast history.

Fall, 2009 | Historic Self–Guided Walking Tour Open to the Public
The long-forgotten site of the experimental radio station belonging to the Radio Corporation of America is now a self–guided walking tour. Radio history was made on March 14, 1925, when the experimental station in Belfast received and relayed the first live, trans–Atlantic, long wave radio broadcast. There are eleven sites with numbered markers. An anchor base for one of the 150’ antenna masts and a guy–wire anchor with clamp are on the tour. Access to the site is off Congress Street, near the Route One by–pass. Enter at the Volunteers of America–Edward Reynolds Housing Project on Booth Drive. Parking is available in the housing complex lot. Free map brochures in the entryway of The Belfast Museum.

April, 2008 | BHSM Chosen by AASLH
In a few years, thousands of history museums and organizations across the country will benefit from a new national program to be tested by the Belfast Historical Society and Museum in Belfast, Maine. The Belfast Historical Society and Museum has been selected as one of six New England museums (and 45 nationally) to participate in a pilot project for the development of national standards for small–and medium–sized history organizations. The program, titled “Standards for History Museums and History Organizations”, is being developed by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), headquartered in Nashville, TN.

Articles

September 29. 2009 | Ben Stickney staff writer for the Village Soup, reports on the last BPF architectural walking tour (Sept. 26) of the 2009 season. The article also includes great photos of the historic homes on topic. Download article [pdf]

June 16, 2007 | Read this informative article about the Belfast Historical Society & Museum's latest exhibits and additions to their collection are detailed in the Bangor Daily News. Read the article.

Historical Society Updates


Belfast Historic House PlaqueYour Old House
The Belfast Historical Society has partnered with Ould Colony Artisans of Farmington, Maine to make house plaques. The cost of $72 includes shipping and a 2010 membership in the Society. This is an attractive product and the company has made historic house markers in communities throughout New England. This offer is for everyone, not just houses in the Historic District. The Museum may be able to help you date your house and identify the original owner. A sample house marker can be seen on the Museum building. Download the order form.