PARIS – Because of a generous bequest from the estate of Weston Flint, late of South Paris, the Paris Cape Historical Society was able to purchase the properly at 77 High St., South Paris, from Joanne M. Schueth. The society will use the building as a museum and meeting place.

The house was originally part of the Porter farm homestead, and goes back at least to 1840 and probably earlier. The house was built by Charles Porter, who purchased the property in 1837, coming here from the Porter neighborhood on the western part of the town. His son, Charles Newell Porter, inherited the property and later lived there. At the time it was sold out of the Porter family in 1995, five generations of the Porter family had made this Cape Cod house their home. The house features wide board floors and rafters in the attic that are logs with the bark still on them.

The new museum will have a reception and meeting room, and three additional rooms downstairs, and two rooms upstairs. A handicap ramp will be built for the convenience of all who need it. Some of the bushes in front of the building have been cleared and those in back will be cleared or pruned, so that the society will have a parking area and space for a yard sale and other activities behind the museum.

Members of the historical society are in the process of repairing and painting the interior of the building. The society plans to move artifacts and files to the new building.

Anyone wanting to volunteer to help will be welcome. The society is also looking for donations to the displays that would be suitable and monetary gifts to cover ongoing expenses.

An open house is planned for later in the spring.