Join us for a lecture this spring! All lectures will take place at Yarmouth History Center and are free and open to all. The lecture series is sponsored by the Leon and Lisa Gorman Fund.
- Wednesday, April 15, 7:00pm
- Down the Road Apiece: Moving Maine’s Buildings
- Aimee Keithan, Educational Programs Manager at Greater Portland Landmarks
Before the wrecking ball, there was the moving crew. Join Aimee Keithan of Greater Portland Landmarks for a fascinating exploration of a once-common practice: physically relocating entire buildings rather than demolishing them. This lecture examines why Mainers and New Englanders moved structures, from practical concerns like land use and development to early preservation instincts. In an era when labor was cheap and materials expensive, moving made economic sense. Discover the engineering ingenuity behind these relocations and learn how this resourceful tradition connects to modern historic preservation efforts. By choosing to move buildings instead of tearing them down, communities preserved their architectural heritage one structure at a time.
- Saturday, May 9, 11:00am
- The Dirigo Men of Henri-Chapelle Cemetery: Stories of Maine’s WWII Service Members
- Aimee Gagnon Fogg, Author and Founder of They Speak
Lt. Roger T. Lane of Yarmouth is one of Maine’s 54 service members who are interred or commemorated at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium. Initially classified as MIA during the war, Lane’s remains were located and identified in the 2000s. He now rests at the Riverside Cemetery in Yarmouth. This talk will focus on the stories of the Mainers interred or commemorated at Henri-Chapelle. Aimee Gagnon Fogg is the founder of They Speak: Voices of Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, which is dedicated to collecting the personal stories and photos of the nearly 8,400 men of HCAC. She is the author of several publications and is also the recipient of the Daughters of the American Revolution Women in American History award.
- Wednesday, June 17, 7:00pm
- Shipwrecks of Casco Bay
- Seth Goldstein, Director, Cushing’s Point Museum and Director of Development, South Portland Historical Society
Seth Goldstein has been fascinated by shipwrecks since his childhood. Join Seth as he shares tales of harrowing rescues and tragic losses in and around Casco Bay. In addition to hearing about the bay’s famous shipwrecks such as the Annie C. Maguire and the Bohemian, audience members will learn about some of the region’s lesser-known wrecks and the circumstances surrounding them. You’ll be fascinated by Seth’s recounting of horrific storms and lives lost to the sea as well as stories of inspiring rescues and the brave men that conducted them.
