Friends of Merrymeeting Bay 2022-2023 Zoom Speaker Series
Friends of Merrymeeting Bay
2022 – 2023 Zoom Speaker Series
7:00 PM LOG IN LINK POSTED AT WWW.FOMB.ORG PRIOR TO EACH PROGRAM.
MAY 10 Order in the Pownalborough Court House, 1761-2023
Jay Robbins, Place-Based Historian
Designed by Boston architect Gershom Flagg and built in 1761 by the Kennebec Proprietors for the newly created Lincoln County, the Pownalborough Court House received such notable visitors as John Adams, Benedict Arnold, Robert Treat Paine, William Cushing, Reverend Jacob Bailey and two future Massachusetts governors: David Sewall and James Sullivan. Numerous trials were held here, including that of Judge North which was featured in the Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Midwife’s Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, based on the diary of local resident Martha Ballard (1735-1812).
The Court House also served as a tavern, a place for church services, a dancing school, and as the Dresden Post Office from 1807-1855. In addition to its vital role in the legal history of Lincoln County and Maine, the Court House was a family home. From 1761 – when Captain Samuel Goodwin, an original Kennebec Proprietor and captain of the guard at Fort Shirley, moved his family from the guardhouse.
Join us as Jay Robbins takes us on a journey through the history of this special building.
FREE • OPEN TO THE PUBLIC • FREE
Sponsored by: Friends of Merrymeeting Bay
Contact Ed Friedman, 666-3372 or edfomb@comcast.net for more information.