OHM Ogunquit Heritage Museum

04/01/2026

Huge thank you to All who joined us on Monday for Dr. Taylor's Q&A! If you were unable to join us but were interested here is a link to a recording of the talk.

https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/odCnu4FPltLYnE1rOYm9tmRmDUzbv9hNfAsR46n_J4a7J49oeIOAkloYWMPaJ1s9.m8iOGozLVa0PFhO0?startTime=1774911521000
Passcode: ti8$j*8D

Stay tuned for more OHM 250th celebrations and celebrations held by other members of the York County Consortium of Historical Societies and Museums coming this year.

03/30/2026

Please Join us this evening!

American Revolution Q&A with Historian Dr. Alan Taylor

OHM is very excited to share we will be a part of a consortium of Historical Societies and Museums of York County hosting 2-time Pulitzer Prize winning author and historian Dr. Alan Taylor for a discussion on the American Revolution and its Maine connections. Over 600 people joined the war between Wells and Ogunquit. Many did not return.

The program is free. It will be via Zoom on Monday, March 30th at 7PM. Most recently, Dr. Taylor was a featured historian in the documentary The American Revolution by Ken Burns.

Dr. Taylor is a native of Portland Maine. He graduated from Colby College (1977) and went on to receive his doctorate in American History from Brandeis University in 1986. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute of Early American History and Culture (Williamsburg, Virginia)1985-1987, he taught at Boston University, 1987-1994; the University of California at Davis, 1994-2014; and the University of Virginia, where he held the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Chair, 2014-2024. In 2016-2017 he served as the Harmsworth Professor at Queens College, Oxford University.

Taylor has published eleven books.

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82625144333

Feel free to email with any questions regarding the Zoom. We do hope you’ll join us.

[email protected]

03/17/2026

American Revolution Q&A with Historian Dr. Alan Taylor

OHM is very excited to share we will be a part of a consortium of Historical Societies and Museums of York County hosting 2-time Pulitzer Prize winning author and historian Dr. Alan Taylor for a discussion on the American Revolution and its Maine connections. Over 600 people joined the war between Wells and Ogunquit. Many did not return.

The program is free. It will be via Zoom on Monday, March 30th at 7PM. Most recently, Dr. Taylor was a featured historian in the documentary The American Revolution by Ken Burns.

Dr. Taylor is a native of Portland Maine. He graduated from Colby College (1977) and went on to receive his doctorate in American History from Brandeis University in 1986. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute of Early American History and Culture (Williamsburg, Virginia)1985-1987, he taught at Boston University, 1987-1994; the University of California at Davis, 1994-2014; and the University of Virginia, where he held the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Chair, 2014-2024. In 2016-2017 he served as the Harmsworth Professor at Queens College, Oxford University.

Taylor has published eleven books.

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82625144333

Feel free to email with any questions regarding the Zoom. We do hope you’ll join us.

[email protected]

12/13/2025

Come one , come all! Happy Holidays!

12/12/2025

Christmas Open House at the Ogunquit Heritage

Please join the Museum for its Annual Open House during Christmas by the Sea, Saturday and Sunday, December 13 & 14 from 1-4pm. OHM is beautifully decorated for the Holidays. The attention to detail is exquisite including Christmas trees, crèches, menorahs and much, much more. It is also the last chance to see the wonderful exhibits of 2025.

A mile stretch of the beautiful Marginal Way was given to the Town 100 years ago by Josiah Chase so it would remain intact and for all to enjoy. We are showcasing many vintage photos but also art from past and present artists and photographers.

The Leavitt Theatre is also celebrating its centennial anniversary. We start with Frank and Annie Leavitt who built and ran it until 1970. Then segue into when Peter Clayton bought it in 1976. Peter’s son Max and his wife Emily have turned it into a magnificent entertaining theatre with bars and a restaurant!

To round out, our third exhibit is all about Perkins Cove Harbor Masters. Some hard working and some hardly working. We had the youngest Harbor Master in America in 1941. One Billy Tower who was 14 years old at the time!

There are many books, DVDs on Ogunquit, a Brenda Yorke Goodale bundle of all 3 of her books at a sale price, and the beautiful notecards presented by the Friends of OHM. All would make great gifts!
Please stop by, have a refreshment, and spread good cheer. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Photo is Clark Hotel Annex 1920s. It eventually will become The Old Village Inn.

11/11/2025

Fascinating! Hope you can go!

10/26/2025

Our hard at work crew 👻 💀🧌🧟‍♀️🧟‍♂️ making for Spooky Stories! Happy Halloween 🎃

10/18/2025

Only 2 weeks left to come see us!

We want to take a minute to thank Fred Mayo for having a sense of humor and brightening up Perkins Cove.
Fred was Harbormaster 2009-2021. His family is steeped in Cove history for generations. His Father was Dude who fished and lobstered out of the Cove. Fred's Grandmother, Dude's Mom, would venture down when he caught a tuna and would have her photograph taken with the it. Sadly Fred's Son Ben died while diving for scallops just off the coast of Ogunquit.

But Fred is a funny bu**er and thought Crusher, the boat used to break up the ice in the Cove in the winter, should have a shark painted on it. He got a graffiti artist to do it. Nobody really noticed it! So he thought more had to be done. While at a hardware store a $45 can of red paint was on sale for $15. So he bought it and painted Crusher red. Well people noticed!!!
Fred is also the reason the Harbormaster office and Winch house have hilarious birdhouses all over them!

10/11/2025

So being a Museum about history we do want to get it as correct as possible.

The Leavitt Theatre was always assumed to be built in 1923 or 24. A few years ago Max found a beam with 1925 carved into it. So Max said built in 1925.

We wanted to know the truth if possible. We went to the Kennebunk Library and looked through micro film of the York County Coast Star, Kennebunk Star before YCCS, for four hours! Low and behold we found the newspaper talking about the building of the Leavitt Theatre in 1925!!! So Max was right. 100 years ago! Happy Birthday Leavitt Theatre!

10/04/2025

Happy October Everyone! Less than a month left to come visit and see this years exhibits- Harbor Masters, Marginal Way, and The Leavitt Theatre.
We are rotating our posts and it is Marginal Way's turn. A large part of the exhibit is artwork and photographs of Artists past and present. We thought we would share a few of our past Artists.

Top- The Queen of Marginal Way painting- Norman E. West, Marginal Way, 2005. Painting given to the Museum by the artist.

Bottom left- a sweet painting of Oliver Littlefield's barn which we sadly lost forever last December in a fire. Painting by E. C. Rocoli, Oliver Littlefied Barn, 1937. On loan from Mike and Pat Weare

And last but certainly not least, bottom right- John Neill, Marginal Way Oarweed Cove, 1975. Painting given to the Museum by Frank and Terri Neill.

There is so much more art- Claire Bigbee, Madeleine Hopkins, Jeffrey Fitzgerald, Efram Burk, George Burk, Rick Barber, Eric J. Taubert Gallery - The Art + Photography of Eric J. Taubert, Charlotte Tragard, Jorden Friedman, Ruth Seegers, Pat Dateo, Susan Levenson, and Nunzio Vayana. Not to mention Minnie Ireland photos and postcards.

Hope to see you soon

09/27/2025

There was a time when a trophy would be awarded to the largest tuna caught by rod and reel out of Perkins Cove. Harry Merrill and Malcolm Merrill would host the Party at the Lookout.
The photo on the left (l-r) the winner in 1940 Richmond Yorke and the 1941 winner Henry Strater kneeling in the front row. Back row is (l-r) Glenn Scott, Malcolm Merrill, Harry L. Merrill, (to quote the newspaper,) " and Billy Tower, the latter, 14, said to be the youngest harbor master in the United States. He is the harbor master in Ogunquit."

The photo on the left is great also. Small print but if you are on a computer blow it up. But for those of you on your phones- seated, left to right: Herbert Perkins, Frank Keeley, Malcom H. Merrill, Harry L. Merrill, Richard (sp) Yorke, Henry Starter, Glenn Scott, Billy Tower. Standing, left to right: Eliot (sp) Henderson, David Strater, Allen Sheen, Reginald Jacobs, Frank Bangs, Robert Staples, Wendell Powers, Larry Perkins, Ernest Knox, Oscar Snow, George Weare, president of the Maine Tuna Fishing Club.

When we were creating the harbor masters exhibit this year, we REALLY wanted written proof that Billy was indeed harbor master at 14, let alone youngest one in the US! And we finally found it thanks to his family.