Situated in the midst of high mountains and fertile river valleys, the town of Bethel traces its origins to a 1768 grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to men whose ancestors had fought in a campaign to conquer Canada in 1690.  Known throughout the latter part of the eighteenth century as "Sudbury Canada" (in honor of these original grantees, many of whom were from Sudbury, Massachusetts), the town was incorporated as "Bethel" (from the Book of Genesis, meaning "House of God") in 1796.  This on-going exhibition provides an overview of the town's past through the use of historic images and selected artifacts from the Bethel Historical Society's permanent collection.  (Included is a scale model of the 1886 Bethel Chair Company mill, constructed and donated by Society member James Auman.)  Click here to visit the online version of "Bethel: A Historic Town.

This mini-exhibit features text, photographs, and architectural renderings to present the story of one of Bethel's most historic nineteenth century properties, now an important part of the Bethel Historical Society's Regional History Center.  Constructed on Broad Street in the Federal style in 1821 and completely transformed into an impressive Italianate residence in the 1880s by Enoch Foster, one of the town's most successful lawyers, the historic Robinson House has been home to several locally prominent families.  The building's conversion into a small hotel by the Bethel Inn in 1923 and its current transformation into a museum facility by the Bethel Historical Society are also highlighted in this modest but informative exhibit.  (The Robinson House photo shown here appeared in the 6 January 1904 "Extra Illustrated Edition" of The Bethel News; the barn was removed in the early 1930s when the property was owned by the Bethel Inn.)

Begun in 1813 and opened to the public in 1974, the Bethel Historical Society's Dr. Moses Mason House is one of the few period house museums in northern New England available for tours year-round (open by appointment September through June; please call our main office in the Robinson House at 207-824-2908 or 800-824-2910 to schedule a visit).  Discover life as it was lived in the highlands of western Maine during the first half of the nineteenth century as you join one of our trained guides in a tour of nine rooms filled with fine examples of the decorative arts, many of which were in the house during the years of the Masons' occupancy (1813-1869).  During your tour, you will view portraits of Dr. and Mrs. Mason painted during the 1830s by Chester Harding of Boston, and view their grand entrance hall with its exceptional circa 1835 Rufus Porter School wall murals.