Preserving Falmouth's Heritage The Falmouth Historical Society 





Museum in Winter Flying Flags of the Revolution

Welcome to The Falmouth Historical Society.  Preservation has been our mission since we were founded in 1966.  And it still is.   Our members volunteer their time to promote interest in the history of Falmouth, Mane, through our collections and outreach to the community.  We provide educational programs, assist with research into local families and history, and conduct tours of the Falmouth Heritage Museum.  The Society is a non-profit organization.

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The Museum and Barn are closed until June 2026.  Only the buildings are closed.  Our volunteers remain busy throughout the year caring for our collections, conducting research, and working on educational programs.  If you want to see something in our collections during our winter recess, we can make that happen!

Upcoming Events

04 Nov 2025 9:00 AM • Falmouth High School
05 Dec 2025 6:00 PM • American Legion Parking Lot, Depot Road

  News



Annual Meeting 
   Newsletters
 

This year's Annual Meeting was held Saturday, October 18th, at 1:30 p.m., in the Russell Room of Falmouth Memorial Library at 5 Lunt Road.


Annual Meeting at the Library

Burning of Falmouth

Remembering the 1775 Burning of Falmouth

On a Wednesday morning in October 1775, a flotilla of Royal Navy vessels under the command of Lt. Henry Mowatt opened fire on Falmouth's town center (today Portland's Old Port).  Over the course of nine hours, the town was raked by cannon fire—3,000 rounds were expended using incendiary cannonballs to set the town ablaze.  When that failed to do the job, marines went ashore and set fire to any buildings that had survived the cannonade.  Some of the marines were wounded and one was killed.  Most of the town's residents fled before the attack began; only one was injured during the attack.  By evening, "the body of the town was in one flame."  Falmouth's town center was devastated with more than 400 buildings damaged or destroyed.


The presentation told the story of events leading up to the destruction, what happened during the attack, and the aftermath. 


The presentation was sponsored jointly by Falmouth Memorial Library and the Falmouth Historical Society.  It is part of our town's engagement in America's Semiquincentennial celebration.


The presentation was followed by a short business meeting as required by our Bylaws.  Revised Bylaws were unanimously approved by the membership.  The membership also unanimously elected the slate of officers and directors for 2025-27 recommended by the Nominating Committee.

   
2025 Autumn FTC  Our autumn newsletter is out! 

New!

2025 Summer FTC If you missed it, here is our summer newsletter.


Other recent newsletters can be found here.

 

Society Business

   

 Online Survey

Online Survey


Printed Survey

Printed Survey

Community Survey

How are we doing?  Are we meeting your expectations?  Your town's historical society would like to know!

We created a survey using Google Forms.  It has only thirteen short questions!

The easiest way to take the survey is online.  Simply click on the purple icon at left.

If you are "old school," click on the form at left to print a paper copy of the survey.  You can return it at the annual meeting or drop it off in the box on the porch of the Society Secretary's house (44 Farm Gate Road, just off Lunt).

Annual Meeting Materials

Here are links to the slides for the presentation and business portion of the annual meeting:


The Burning of Falmouth (Slides) New!  

 

Annual Membership Fall Meeting (Slides New! 

 

Speakers notes for the presentation, minutes for the business meeting, and a recording of the presentation will be posted when ready.  Other documents related to the annual meeting may be found here.


  Recent Activity


Presentations

   •  The Burning of Falmouth (Slides) New!
   •  Local History Research (Slides and Speaker's Notes) New!

   •  Aucocisco (Slides and Speaker's Notes) New!

   •  The Humphrey Merrill House (Slides and Speaker's Notes

   •  The Opening Volley (Slides and Speaker's Notes)

     Falmouth's Western Frontier (Slides and Speaker's Notes 

   •  The Story Begins with a Sword (Slides and Speaker's Notes

   •  An Early Falmouth Family (Slides and Speaker's Notes)

   •  First Summer Colony (Slides and Speaker's Notes)

   •  Maps of Falmouth  (Slides and Speaker's Notes)
     Highlights from Acquisitions 2021  (Slides and Speaker's Notes)

     Historic Sites on the Foreside  (Slides and Speaker's Notes)

     Proprietors Map of 1732  (Slides)

     Bucknam Tavern  (Slides)

     A Marriage Made in Boston (Slides)

     Tidewater Farm (Slides)

     Town History (Slides and Speaker's Notes)

   •  Annual Membership Fall Meeting 2025 (Slides)  New!
   •  Annual Membership Winter Meeting 2025 (Slides and Minutes)

   •  Annual Membership Meeting 2024 (Slides and Minutes)

   •  Annual Membership Meeting 2023 (Slides and Minutes)

     Annual Membership Meeting 2022 (Slides and Minutes)


Retrospectives

   •  The History of Falmouth School's Campus  New!

   •  Remembering One Who Fell During the Revolution on Memorial Day  New!

   •  Remembering One Who Fell in the "Forgotten War"

   •  Remembering One Who “Gave the Last Full Measure of Devotion” 

   •  Remembering the Greatest Generation on Memorial Day

   •  Maine’s First Newspaper Tells Us About Life in Falmouth Two Centuries Ago

   •  Two Pictures Recall the Life of a Falmouth Schoolmaster

   •  Falmouth Hunkers Down in Response to Pandemic, Again

   •  Falmouth in 1820


  Falmouth Heritage Museum

Find Us

 


The Falmouth Heritage Museum is at 60 Woods Road in Falmouth (just beyond the town transfer station). Click on map to enlarge.

You can also reach us at info@thefhs.org.

Map showing location of Falmouth Heritage Museum

Museum Hours

Winter (October-May)

The Museum is closed due to the high cost of utilities and maintenance for a 19th-century house during a Maine winter.  Safety of our visitors and volunteers is a concern—despite our best efforts to clear snow and ice, the area around the steps is often treacherous. 

Summer (June-October)

The Museum and Barn at 60 Woods Road in Falmouth is open 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on most Tuesdays, or by appointment.

Falmouth Heritage Bookstore


Falmouth Heritage BookstoreGive the gift of Falmouth History!


Shop at our online bookstore which is always open.  Orders can be delivered or picked up locally in Falmouth.  We ship to US locations 


Consider a gift membership! 


  Please Support Our Generous Sponsors!


 

Sponsor logo: Majco Roofing

 

Sponsor logo: Falmouth Lions Club

 Platinum Sponsor  Gold Sponsor
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Sponsor Logo: Hannaford
Sponsor Logo: Shaws
 Silver Sponsor  Bronze Sponsor
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Sponsor logo: Bath Savings  Sponsor Logo: Leeward Fine Gardening
Bronze Sponsor
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 Fox Pest Control Sponsor Logo: Berman & Simmons Trial Attorneys
 Bronze Sponsor  Bronze Sponsor 



Falmouth Heritage Museum
60 Woods Road, Falmouth, Maine 04105
Telephone: (207) 781-4727
Email:
info@thefhs.org

Mailing Address
The Falmouth Historical Society
190 US Route One PMB 367
Falmouth, ME 04105

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Falmouth, Maine

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