About the Historical Society

The Cumberland Historical Society (CHS) was founded in 1939 through the dedicated efforts of Herman and Phyllis Sweetser. The meetings were first held in the Prince Memorial Library; in 1989 the CHS moved into a home of its own. That building was built in 1853 as a one-­‐room schoolhouse; the bricks of which were fired right in the town. The CHS is a group of 100 or so members; a totally volunteer group.

Meetings are held once a month, from September through June, excluding December, and an Open House is held on Memorial Day after the parade. In May, a two‐hour walking historical tour of the center of town is given to the second grades at the Mabel I. Wilson Elementary School as a part of their community curriculum. Individual tours are offered to anyone else who contacts the CHS. Historic home tours are usually scheduled through the Cumberland Recreation Department. There are over 200 homes in the town that are over 100 years old; 50 from that inventory are over 200 years old.

The museum is the repository of an interesting collection of artifacts that connect with the town. They range from home deeds from the 1700’s to pieces of dinnerware brought back from England by one of the town’s sea captains to his wife. Indian artifacts, Revolutionary War, Civil War, WWI and WWII items are available to view. A number of family genealogies and histories of businesses of the town are in development.

The Cumberland Historical Society is located at 264 Main St., behind the Prince Memorial Library. This is in the center of Cumberland, about 13 miles north of Portland, just off of Route 9, which is Main Street for the town.