PHILLIPS — The Phillips Historical Society Museum offers a deep dive into the rich history of the region, with collections that span from the town’s early settlement through the era of the railroad and into the late 20th century. Housed in the historic Vose House, built in 1829 by Captain Joel Whitney, the museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as a treasure trove of local history.
This season, the museum has placed a special focus on military uniforms, artifacts, and the stories of local veterans. “This year, we decided to pull out as many pieces of military artifacts that we have,” said Sheila Driscoll, who, along with Dennis Atkinson, serves as a guide for visitors. “We scattered them through the house.”
During a recent visit July 17 Driscoll and Atkinson gave a tour of the museum and shared the history preserved within its walls. Among the museum’s many intriguing items is a decorative wreath made entirely of human hair created by Mrs. Robbins, the grandmother of Marion Gates. The wreath is considered a work of art. “They didn’t have much to do after supper but brush their hair,” Atkinson remarked, highlighting how people of that era found creative ways to memorialize their loved ones.
The museum’s collection also includes over 50 Bibles, not all of which are on display. “Beautiful ornate Bibles, they list marriages, who went into the service,” Driscoll noted, emphasizing the historical significance of these family heirlooms.
Driscoll also held up a newspaper clipping about a tea set that was reportedly brought over on the Mayflower by the Cushman family, ancestors of Elma Dill of Phillips. The tea set, cherished by Dill is considered the pride and joy of the museum’s collection. This connection to the Mayflower voyage adds a deeply personal and historic touch to the museum’s offerings, linking the town of Phillips to one of the most significant events in early American history.
The museum also features Portland Glass, a significant collection donated by a single individual. The Portland Glass Company operated from 1863 to 1873, and the museum’s collection is one of the largest in existence, second only to the Maine State Museum.
Another highlight of the tour was the story of the famous bread bowl. In the spring of 1817, Luther Hoar’s youngest child, Eunice, was found sound asleep in the wooden bowl after sliding out of a wagon near Sandy River Ponds during the family’s move to Rangeley.
“An old guy came in,” Atkinson recalled, “I hear the guy crying. He is standing in front of the bowl. He said, ‘this is the bowl. We could never make it here when you are open’. Atkinson held the museum open with extended hours for the whole family to come down from their camp to hold the bowl and take pictures.
The museum also displays different tea cups with images from Phillips like Daggett Rock, a large glacial erratic boulder. Atkinson is the owner of the land where Daggett Rock is located. “A professor from Boston College once brought students to the site, and unfortunately, they chiseled the Boston College insignia into the rock,” Atkinson said. “You would think the professor of geology would have known better.’”
The museum is open on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon, and on the first and third Sundays of the month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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