Welcome to the
South Bristol Historical Society
SBHS
2025 Upcoming Events
21
JUN
June 21, Saturday, 10am-3pm — The Historical Society will co-sponsor the “Gardens of Lincoln County” with a focus this year on South Bristol. The event is a self-guided tour showcasing the beautiful gardens and historic sites of our town. The following sites will be open for visitors: Walpole Meetinghouse, Walpole Union Chapel, S Road Schoolhouse, Thompson Ice House, Historical Society Museum
8
JUL
July 8, Tuesday, 7:00pm — Following the SBHS Annual Membership Meeting at 6:30pm, Dr. Neil DePaoli will present, “Coastal summer visits of Maine Indigenous Peoples during the late 19th and early 20th centuries”. Dr. DePaoli is the Historic Site Manager at Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site in Bristol. At the Union Church Parish Hall.
6
AUG
Aug. 6 ,Wednesday, 7pm — A presentation by Captain Jonathan Bacon (JB) Smith who will talk about his seagoing career aboard sail training vessels such as Bill of Rights and Harvey Gamage, both built at Gamage Shipyard in So. Bristol. Smith helped design and implement a program of education at sea, the mission of Ocean Classroom Foundation. He was the OCF captain and Maine superintendent. At the Union Church Parish Hall.
SB
HS
Be Informed
The Town of South Bristol, Maine
"The old and historic town of Bristol named for Bristol, England, is one of the oldest towns in Maine, being the 20th of near 700 towns and plantations in the state. It was incorporated in 1765, fifty five years before the separation of Maine from Massachusetts and is older than the national government. South Bristol was made a separate town by act of Legislature in 1915 and separated from the town of Bristol. The new town is bounded as follows, beginning at north side of Prentiss Island on Damariscotta River, running east with north side of Prentiss line to an ash tree in the fork of the road. Theron south to the east branch of Foster's Cove so-called at the head of John's Bay, thereon southerly and westerly following the shores of John's Bay, Rutherford's Island, Atlantic Ocean, and Damariscotta River to the point of beginning, including all adjacent islands formerly belonging to Bristol."
​(From "A Short History of South Bristol, Maine," by Nelson W Gamage, circa 1920)
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Land Acknowledgement Statement from the South Bristol Historical Society
We acknowledge the lands and waters of the Pemaquid Peninsula, now occupied by the towns of Bristol and South Bristol, had been home to Native People called Wawenock for thousands of years. The South Bristol Historical Society is committed to perspectives that promote truth, appreciation, and respect for those people who were here first.
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