Our mission is to collect, preserve and interpret the history of Lincoln County, Maine, which once extended from Brunswick to Canada. We are stewards of three historic buildings: the 1761 Pownalborough Court House in Dresden, the 1811 Old Jail in Wiscasset, and the 1754 Chapman-Hall House in Damariscotta.
LCHA maintains its historic buildings as museums that are open to the public. The museums feature collections of textiles and costumes, tools, furniture, baskets, housewares, photographs, maps, manuscripts, and other ephemera that help to tell Lincoln County’s stories. The buildings, with the help of our docents, also tell human stories of the lives of county residents as our towns grew and flourished.
Staff
Executive Director Shannon Gilmore brings to LCHA her lifelong passion for local history and a strong interest in building community connections, along with her experience in many facets of nonprofit work. Shannon holds a bachelor’s degree in History from Bowdoin College and a master of arts in Historic Preservation from Goucher College, where her research highlighted the preservation of Maine’s Grange Halls. She has conducted extensive historical research on subjects ranging from textiles to environmental history, but most enjoys researching house and neighborhood histories. Shannon is past President of the Board of Trustees at Pejepscot History Center in Brunswick, where she especially enjoyed program and membership development. For LCHA, Shannon juggles all of the above and more, while gratefully relying on the help of a strong and talented staff and volunteer force.
Louise grew up in Connecticut and is a graduate of the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics and History. Her experience working with children and the public in an historic venue was developed while on the staff of Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts and as administrator at the Fort at No. 4 Living History Museum in New Hampshire. Outside of museum work, Louise wrote for and published a quarterly publication, The Pine Tree Shilling, for 15 years. The periodical’s focus was everyday life in the American Colonies from 1650 – 1780.
In her position as Education Director, Louise strives to gives students and the public an appreciation of the rich history of Lincoln County, especially as it is documented in the three historic properties under the care of LCHA. Louise reaches out to public, private, and home schools offering resources, programs and presentations to enhance curriculum – her approach is inter-disciplinary. In addition to her school outreach work, Louise has given presentations to historical societies and for other local groups.
Savannah Clark grew up in Belgrade, Maine, and holds a bachelor’s degree in history and religious studies from Gettysburg College. She also holds a master’s and a PhD in history from the University of Maine. Her research interests include nineteenth century American history, Civil War history, and women’s history. Savannah has experience teaching, editing academic journals, and working in archives. She began working for LCHA as an intern in the summer of 2023, helping the Collections Committee digitally catalog the collections. In early 2026, she was hired as the Collections and Archives Coordinator and Executive Assistant. In this role, she oversees LCHA’s collections and archives and assists the Executive Director.
Officers and Trustees
James Tanzer is originally from the North Shore of Boston, and currently resides in Bath. He serves as the Special Collections & Archives Research Service Librarian at Bowdoin College’s Hawthorn-Longfellow Library. Prior to his current role, he worked in the museum field for almost 30 years, having most recently served as Outreach Coordinator for the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum at Bowdoin College. Since 2020, Jamey has been researching free and enslaved Black residents of Topsham and Brunswick in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and is committed to uncovering the stories of these hidden Mainers.
Korinne Tanzer holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Arizona State University, and has dedicated time as a volunteer or staff member for a number of area history-related organizations. She has been involved as a volunteer with Lincoln County Historical Association for two years. Currently a member of LCHA’s Board of Trustees and a member of the Wiscasset Old Jail Stewardship Committee, she has been researching the lives of many of the 19th century inmates. Korinne has a passion for maritime history and LGBT+ history. She currently runs a blog devoted to maritime, Maine, and queer history, and her favorite Jane Austen novel is Emma.
Bill is a CPA who lends time as a volunteer to a number of area nonprofits. He serves as the Board Treasurer and chair of LCHA’s Finance and Investment Committee.
Robin has been a member of LCHA for 6 years, the last 3 as President. Robin started as a docent at the Pownalborough Court House during those years, and also enjoys working in the Court House’s garden. She has a home with too many gardens in Round Pond, and prior to moving here, she enjoyed life with a landscape gardening business in Scottsdale, AZ, and Bigfork, MT.
Bruce is a member of the Chapman-Hall House stewardship committee. He is retired and lives in Newcastle.
Christine has been a member of LCHA since 2009. She was first elected to the Board in 2011 and served as Secretary for six years. Since 2013, she has edited and produced the LCHA Chronicle newsletter. Currently chair of the Old Jail Stewardship Committee, she leads tours and manages the docent schedule during the summer season. She assists the Director in handling publicity for LCHA.
In 2015, Christine created an annual fundraiser, originally called Kermess, now known as the Preservation Party. She served as chair of the event for many years and is now a member of its planning committee. Under her leadership, the Old Jail Stewardship Committee initiated a community-building event called Jailhouse Rock, held annually on the second Saturday in August.
Christine’s career was based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she worked in advertising print production, founded a nationally recognized calendar and greeting card publishing company, and managed media relations for the Electric Power Research Institute.
Scot McFarlane is a historian and the founder of the Oxbow History Company, holding a Ph.D. in American History from Columbia University. He has worked at Historic New England and the American Historical Association. Scot is the author of the forthcoming book The River That Made Texas: A Forgotten History of the Trinity (UNC Press).
Dave Probert worked at Bath Iron Works for thirty-five years before retiring in 2009. He joined LCHA in 2011 while helping create the Pownalborough Court House trail system, and he joined the Board of Trustees shortly thereafter. He co-chairs the Pownalborough Court House Stewardship Committee.
Scott is an attorney specializing in family law, elder law, civil litigation (discrimination, personal injury, recovery of property), and protection from abuse and harassment cases. He is an active attorney for the Volunteer Lawyers Project and at any given time has several active pro bono cases. Scott moved to Maine in 2013 after spending his first 50 years living in or adjacent to Philadelphia. Before earning his JD from the University of Maine School of Law as a member of the Class of 2019, Scott worked for 30 years as a college librarian and IT administrator. Scott holds a master’s degree in history with an emphasis on 19th century British cultural history. His interest in public history dates to 1978, when he spent a summer as a living history interpreter at the Hopewell Village National Historic Site in Pennsylvania.
Scott has been married to Karen Sandlin Silverman, a teacher and librarian in Topsham, since 1985. Their two grown daughters live in Waterville and Houlton, respectively. His granddaughter is perfect. His maternal grandmother’s family has roots in Maine going back at least into the late 18th century, and his 1760s house looks as old as it is.
Faye Snyder is originally from the North Shore area of Massachusetts. Her parents relocated to Maryland where she graduated from the University of Baltimore with a degree in Dental Hygiene. She enjoyed a wonderful career that spanned over forty years. Married to a Navy Pilot, his career moved them to many parts of the United States and included a 4 year tour in Wales, UK. Their first tour in the Navy brought them to Brunswick Naval Air Station, where they fell in love with Midcoast Maine. Before retiring from dental hygiene, Faye opened Parade Antiques on Main Street in downtown Wiscasset. Interested in history from a young age, she became a member of LCHA, serves on the Board of Trustees, and is the Chair of the Collections Committee.
Will grew up in southern Maine and has deep roots in the state. He loves Maine history, especially regarding the Kennebec region. He also enjoys genealogy and giving tours at the Pownalborough Court House. Will holds a BA in American History from Denison University in Ohio.
Luke Suttmeier grew up in New York’s Hudson Valley, leaving home in 2005 for Massachusetts, then England, Minnesota, and finally Maine in 2011. During those whirlwind years, Luke earned a BA in History from Gordon College and an MA in Greek and Roman Archaeology from Newcastle University (UK). Luke has spent 15 years working in education in Maine, as an ed tech, a social studies teacher, a dorm parent, and director of an alternative education program. Luke has an avid love of traveling, history, world cultures, soccer, good food, and the outdoors. He spent eight years in Damariscotta Mills with his wife, Tasha, and their three children. Their family will spend 2026-2027 traveling domestically as well as “world schooling” in Costa Rica, Australia, and Europe.
