Owls Head, Maine
Our Mission
The mission of the Mussel Ridge Historical society is to: promote interest in, and knowledge and appreciation of the history of Owls Head, the Mussel Ridge Islands and their inhabitants and visitors;
Collect, identify, interpret, preserve, exhibit and make available for education, research and pleasure: historical documents, records, photographs, information and artifacts relating to the above;
Produce published material pertaining to the history of the area; and
Manage and preserve buildings owned or leased by the society.
A Brief History of The Mussel Ridge Historical Society
It was in November, 1960, that the Mussel Ridge Historical Society was founded and incorporated. The members had felt for a long time the need to preserve the history of this area. Over time, the members did what they could with such time and monies then available to protect and preserve letters, artifacts, photos, and the like for posterity.
A major obstacle became evident when it grew more and more difficult to safely store these items. So many items were kept in boxes in a member’s attic, or wherever they could safely put them. Even after the Society acquired the lease on the Homestead, it was not much better, since there was no heat or any sort of climate control there. So the hunt for an appropriate spot to store everything has been an ongoing project for a long time.
When a small group of Owl’s Head residents met at Birch Point Lodge, on September 10, 1960. Our town, having separated from South Thomaston in July 1921, was only 39 years old. What these people had in common was a love of history, an interest in town government, and a deep sense of preservation. Their intent was to form a historical society. This they did! At the third meeting of the new organization held on November 12, 1960 an official spelling of “Mussel” was adopted, and it was voted to incorporate the organization.