The Historical Society Museum's Collection

The Historical Society Museum's Collection

The museum's collection focuses on the Revolutionary War, with special emphasis on General Henry Knox and his family, artifacts relating to the history of the Town of Thomaston, especially its sea faring past and the area involvement in the Civil War. The Thomaston/Rockland area was the home of the 4th Maine Infantry Regiment and 1st Maine Calvary Regiment that played such pivotal roles in the success of the Union Army.

The museum has an excellent collection of photographs, pictures and drawings of many of the wooden ships made in Thomaston and an extensive collection of photographs depicting the growth and development of the town.

As an integral part of every sailing vessel, blocks were a common sight in Thomaston's harbor during the 19th century, and still are today, wherever sailing ships are present. A block, together with a ships lines (ropes), are used to gain mechanical advantage for the halyards which raise the sails, the sheets which adjust the angle of the sails, or ropes for loading cargo. It consists of an outer shell enclosing a number of sheaves (pulleys) through which the lines run. The number of sheaves determines the mechanical advantage. John Elliot, Jr. and William Metcalf set up separate block making establishments in Thomaston is 1826.

19th century kerosene ship's lantern were a culmination of centuries of technological development. Early lanterns burned cloth soaked in animal or vegetable oil. By the 18th century candles became common place. However, in the 19th century, with the wide spread use of metal working and glass blowing techniques along with the discovery of kerosene, this type of lantern came into general use. Such lamps provided cabin light and were used as running and signal lights.

After the Civil War, the industrial revolution produced a large affluent middle class in the United States and the baby carriage came into widespread use. Like the horse drawn carriage, the child's carriage was a work of art as well as a vehicle for conveyance. As the railroad replaced the horse drawn carriage for long distance travel, carriages became lighter in weight and more delicate in appearance. This baby carriage is modeled after the light, horse drawn, pleasure carriage called a "surrey". Note the springs used to soften the ride and the fringed canopy.

This model of a "full rigged" sailing ship shows the fore'and'aft rigging (stays) and the side riggings (shrouds) along with the topmasts. The horizontal spars holding the sails are missing. Note the deep, full bodied, hull design which was typical of Thomaston built cargo ships. It was this hull design that brought world wide fame to Thomaston made sailing ships because it made them both fast and profitable.

This ship's wheel is representative in design of wheels used for centuries on wooden sailing ships. Usually mounted in the stern, the wheel was connected to the ship's rudder by a series of ropes and pulleys. Together with the ship's magnetic compass, mounted in front of the wheel, it served to set course across the lonely expanse of ocean.

Model of Alfred D. Snow, 2075 tons, built in Thomaston in 1877 by Samuel Watts. The ship sank off the coast of Ireland in 1888. Captain William Willey of Thomaston and all hands were lost.

A lime hoe used in the lime kilns prevalent throughout Thomaston in the 19th century.

A small model of the original Maine State Prison in 1824 when the prison was established in Thomaston. It shows that the prisoners were kept in underground cells and were brought up in the daytime to work in the limestone quarry on the prison grounds. In the lower right is a cart made by prison inmates to carry tools.

The white bench to the right is an original pew from the Old North Church, built in 1795 on High Street. This was the house of worship for General Henry Knox and his family as well as other town residents. It had a bell made by Paul Revere which now stands on the grounds of the General Henry Knox Museum.

Tools used in the sail making industry. These particular tools came from Dunn & Elliot, one ot the larger sail lofts in the area during the nineteenth century.

Wooden ship model 1820-1830, three masts, built by Harvey Mills.

Reproduction of Ship Belle O'Brien, built in Thomaston is 1875, 1902 tons. The original oil painting is by W. H. Yorke, 1894.

Tarbox Jug - James Tarbox was an early potter in Thomaston, setting up business on the mall in 1819. He later moved to the northwest corner of green and Hyler Streets, where he lived until his death on october 29, 1887 at the age of 90 years and 5 months. Few of his pieces survive.

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