Welcome aboard
the Friendship Museum! We are located in a coastal town where you may
contrast the blues of the sea with the greens of the Maine woods. Where
islands invite you to roam then-shores and sheltered coves beckon boats
to anchor. Where weathered shacks decorated with brilliant buoys hanging
like pendants line the shores. Where five tendrils of land extend to the
sea forming the peninsulas of Wadsworth, Bradford, Davis, Martins and
Timber Points. Where you may explore the separate communities of Lawry,
Finntown and East Friendship which make
up the collage that is called Friend-ship.Colorful wire lobster traps,
some still clustered on the lawns, indicate the principal occupation of
the towns residents. Nestled on a small lot hidden away from busy city
traffic you will find the Red Brick Schoolhouse which harbors the Friendship
Museum.
In a 1965 flyer for Friendship Sloop Days we read that the Friendship Museum is"a unique collection reminiscent of the town's last century. Here are lines of one ofWilbur Morse's sloops, one of Warren Morse's and one of Eugene McLain's, a photograph of an ox team hauling a new sloop from the shop to the shore, another of a yachting party in the 90's. On the walls are pictures of steamers, tugs, draggers, fishing schooners and coasters built, manned and owned by local people. Here lies a carved trail board and there an adze used to shape spars and timbers. Among other records is a bill for a finished sloop totaling less than $1,000.
One can easily be filled with nostalgia as they study Clint Lawry's
painting of the S.S.Monhegan with Captain I.E.Archibald at the wheel at
the "siding" at Jameson and Wotton's wharf taking on passengers
for her run between Rockland and Portland. One is carried back to days
of yore as they read Allison M. Watts poem describing the event—
When
the Boat Came
|
|||
I can hear the steamboat whistle As I used to years ago. When she came inside the island Up the harbor, plowing slow. I can see the folks all hurrying To the dock down by the shore. 'Twas the day's event of interest That we wouldn't miss you know. That we ever will remember, From our youth of years ago. |
Alas the automobile... What wonderful memories. Come aboard and examine our “locker.”
It all began forty years ago when a group of twenty-five citizens, recognizing the need of a home to preserve the history of the town and its artifacts of the early days, met and formed the Friendship Museum Organization. The following officers were elected: President, Albert Roberts; Vice-president, Randall Foster; Treasurer, Robert Lash and Secretary, Mary Carlson. Dr. Frank Foster leased the so-called RedBrick schoolhouse where one of his ancestors had been the first teacher at the school. An article in the local paper. The Courier Gazette, reported, " residents claim the school was made of brick in the effort to keep it in one location. Apparently, after a new school board was elected, before the brick school was built, the chairman of the board would move the wooden school to the location most convenient to his constituents. The school had a new location after each town election."
Once
it was established that the school would be a suitable site for the display
of the memorabilia that gave a clear picture of the life in the community
of Friendship, Carrie McFarland was hired as Curator. Here " those
who were genuinely interested in the history of the small town" and
"the nautically minded who were seeking the origin of sloops, draggers
and the old way of fishing soon found a wealth of information." Here
a half-hull of a lobster boat; beside it the half hull of a Friendship
Sloop. Here a painting of the original builder, Wilbur Morse; there a
picture of George Huey, nationally famous decoy-carver. In another comer
was the picture a teacher, Ralph Winchenpaw, and those who attended the
little schoolhouse. Soon there was plethora of items, dishes, tools, toys,
all revealing life in the early 1900's.
Years have passed since that important formational meeting of the Friendship museum. Interest has fluctuated over the years but under the leadership of its recent president, Lynn Case, and her ever available and supportive husband. Bill Case, many improvements have been made. It became quite evident with the immensity of the number of items to be displayed that there would be need of more adequate display cases. A more efficient cataloging system was developed. Attention was centered upon the importance of preserving and caring for the many items archived. Lighting was improved, walls repainted, floors resurfaced and the exterior of the building was renovated. These with an enlarged parking area and better landscaping gave birth to a renewed interest in the museum's programs.
Because of the wealth of artifacts available it was decided a system of
rotation of displays was necessary and a new theme was developed for each
year. One year there was an interesting and informative display by The
Lobster Conservancy, an organization important in the preservation of
the lobster industry, the town's main livelihood. The following year The
Granite Quarry on Friendship Long Island, an important industry in the
early 1900's, was featured. This year great interest was shown in the
book entitled, "Amanda's Letters," which centered on letters
sent to a local Friendship girl during the Civil War period. The book
gave insight into the life during that time and revealed how the war affected
Friendship's residents. At the Annual Friendship Day Parade Stephanie
Littlehale, portraying Amanda marched in the parade accompanied by The
4th Maine Regiment re-enactors, dressed in union Army uniforms.
Over the years the work of local artists have been on display. This year lobster fisherman, Cedric Delano's painting of fishermen on a seine boat bringing in a net filled with fish was the featured painting. A painstakingly crafted model of the Laura B.II showed off the talent of Albert Simmons.
A special money making project this year was an 11 by 17 poster, "Friendship Reflected". It was the reproduction of an evocative photo taken around 1910 of a Friendship Sloop reflected in the water. This is a must-have for anyone interested in boats, especially our gaff-rigged Friendship Sloop.
We would be remiss if we did not make note of a special oral history project the museum has been involved with these last two years. We became concerned that with the passing of our senior citizens we were losing much of our local history. So the Friendship Museum joined with the sixth graders of Friendship Village school to record stories of interest. Under the capable leadership of Sally Merrick representing the museum and with the co-operation of Gaylea Hynd, the sixth grade teacher, the pupils conducted their second oral history project titled "Lobstering: A Friendship Tradition". This was received with great interest and not only preserved history but at the same time created a new generation interested and understanding the importance of historical records.
Come along side. You are welcome to board. You will find many items of interest in our Friendship Museum Coastal "locker."
Back Yard Yacht Builders
A non-commercial association of amateur boat-builder enthusiasts.
All our wooden boats are Stevenson designs.