Opening Day at the Counting House Museum

At Counting House Museum

Opening Day at the Counting House Museum

South Berwick, Maine- The Counting House Museum opens for the season on Saturday, June 3rd from 1-4pm. To celebrate the opening, a special program, “Footprints of the Past” will take place at the landing next to the museum.

Have you ever wondered what the Landing neighborhood was like when the Portsmouth Manufacturing Company’s four-story mill dominated the landscape? Guests will explore the footprints of the people and buildings of the past in the textile industry, from farm to factory. This event will feature conversations with character actors, demonstrations, short tours, images, and other activities designed to deepen the understanding and appreciation of our local history. The program will run from 1pm-3pm. The program and the museum admission are free to the public, donations are gratefully accepted.

The Old Berwick Historical Society’s 2023 exhibit explores the material culture of early domestic textile arts and the tools used to produce linen and woolen cloth in rural New England homesteads. Material goods provide a window into standards of living, self-sufficiency, economic diversification, and the transition from frontier life to settled communities.

The specialized tools used to process flax and wool, and the spinning wheels and looms on display, reveal the necessary individual skills and the collaborative family roles in creating yarn and cloth. Co-curated with Ruth Greene-McNally, loans primarily from the collection of guest curators Peter and Nancy Cook, and selections from the permanent collection of the Old Berwick Historical Society, reflect the art of creating homespun textiles in common use throughout the 18th century.

The Counting House Museum is regularly open June-October on Saturday and Sunday from 1pm-4pm. More information is available by calling 207-384-0000 or visiting www.oldberwick.org.