We present regular programs to the public, as well as bus tours, open houses, workshops, and we participate in many town activities. The Society is a resource for any area research regarding Windham history, its organizations and families.
In 1967, several residents of Windham who felt a strong desire to preserve and share the town’s history, organized the Windham Historical Society. For many years, meetings were held in private homes and community meeting rooms.
In 1983, the Town House was turned over to the Historical Society when town offices were moved to the newly renovated community center. Membership grew and the Town House, built in 1833, was turned into a museum, with a library and office. A fireproof walk-in safe used by the municipal officers to store town records, became a useful place for the Society to store its many donated documents and artifacts.
Two other historical buildings were obtained in the 1990’s. The Windham Circulating Library was moved to the Historical Society grounds in 2002 and in 2020, the Old Grocery was moved from the corner of Windham Center Road and Route 202 to its permanent location on the Village Green.
In 2010, the Windham Historical Society bought October House, named for its October purchase. The 2.52-acres property includes the house, a barn, an old gun shop, and a small garage. The house is currently being rented, but we hope to open it as a history museum in the future. The Gun Shop has been completely renovated and now serves as The Village School, a living history site where young students and visitors can spend a couple of hours taking a trip back in time. A schoolmarm dressed in period attire teaches lessons in reading, recitation, and cyphering. The students are encouraged to dress in the fashion of the time as well as they experience an authentic school day in the year 1898.
In 2012, the Society obtained the South Windham Library that was originally located in the Little Falls section of Gorham. It was moved to the Historical Society grounds in that same year and will become a museum dedicated to the South Windham section of town and a newly constructed ell will house artifacts from the South Windham Railroad Station. The Gun Shop has been completely renovated and now serves as The Village School, a living history site where young students and visitors can spend a couple of hours taking a trip back in time. A schoolmarm dressed in period attire teaches lessons in reading, recitation, and cyphering. The students are encouraged to dress in the fashion of the time as well as they experience an authentic school day in the year 1898.
We are happy to announce that with COVID restrictions being lifted in June 2021, the Windham Historical Society is open for visitation on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon. We are hoping to be able to have some activities this summer. Stay tuned. We look forward to seeing our old friends and members and hope to have some new people join us as well.
In 1996 the Society applied for and received recognition by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (c) (3) organization. As such, all donations to the Society are tax deductible. For more information call (207) 892-1433 or email info@windhamhistorical.org.
