Our mission
According to the Historical Society’s Constitution, the purpose of the Otisfield Historical Society “shall be to bring together those people interested in the history of Otisfield, Maine, to collect and preserve any material which may help to establish or illustrate the history of the Otisfield area. The Society shall make accessible historical information, promote interest in history, provide relevant programs, and acquire and hold property.”
Our beginnings
The Otisfield Historical Society was founded in 1981. To a large degree it was the outgrowth of the survey of Otisfield’s oldest buildings, undertaken for the Oxford County Historic Resource Survey. This survey, together with similar surveys of other towns in Oxford County, eventually resulted in the compilation and publication of Randall H. Bennett’s acclaimed architectural survey, titled Oxford County, Maine: A Guide to Its Historic Architecture (Bethel, Maine, 1984). Many of the Otisfielders who participated in that survey were the first members of the Otisfield Historical Survey. Ethel Bean Turner provided much of the energy and leadership of the Society during its first years.
Our collections
75 collections, including letters, diaries, photographs, videotapes, audiotapes, deeds and legal documents, autograph albums, books, scrapbooks, and artifacts. The Society’s Collection Policy states that we will accept and acquire only items which we can store and care for properly. It is also our policy to make these as accessible as possible without putting them at physical risk.
Officers
- President: Derek Dorr
- Vice-President: Callie Zilinsky
- Treasurer: Mike Thorne
- Secretary: Jessica Dorr
- Archivist: Maureen Mooney-Howard
- Assistant Archivist: Jean Hankins
Trustees
Alan Douglass, Jean Hankins, Laurie Wood, Garry Dyer, and John Phillips
Directors emeritus
Celeste Hyer
In honored memory
Ethel Bean Turner
We remember Ethel’s energy and leadership in the society’s earliest years, and honor her lasting contribution to preserving Otisfield’s history.
Reserve the Old Town House
To reserve the Old Town House, please see the guidelines at the link below. If you would like to make a reservation, please fill out the form at the end of the attachment.