LCHA offers field trips to tour our three historic sites.
Contact Education Director Louise Miller with questions or to book your trip! education@lincolncountyhistory.org
Touring times vary as the three sites differ in what they have to offer. Tours can be arranged for September to early October, and for May and June. Please note, at this time LCHA has begun to put in place a fund to assist schools whose budgets allow limited field trips due to busing concerns. If you need assistance with busing costs for a field trip to one of the LCHA sites, please contact us.
We look forward to welcoming you and your students.
1811 Old Jail and attached Jailer’s House
One of the oldest remaining jails in New England, the 1811 Old Jail and attached 1839 Jailer’s House provides a look at a piece of hidden history. Students visit the cells and experience the conditions for those convicted of crimes in the nineteenth century. They also tour the attached Jailer’s House and learn about the prisoners’ diet and the life of the jailer’s family. The Jailer’s House stands out in sharp contrast to the prisoners’ living conditions in the jail cells.
Time: Approximately 60 minutes
Fee: Free of charge to Lincoln County schools and home school groups
Address: 133 Federal Street, Wiscasset
1754 Chapman-Hall House
A visit to the Chapman-Hall House, the oldest known house in Damariscotta, provides students with a look at daily life in the colonial era. Students tour the house and walk through time with the Chapman family from their 1754 kitchen, their 1780 bedroom, and their 1810 parlor. Students explore the process of food preparation and clothing making during the colonial period as well.
Time: Approximately 50 minutes
Fee: Free of charge to Lincoln County schools and home school groups
Address: 270 Main Street, Damariscotta
Pownalborough Court House
The only pre-Revolutionary War court house in Maine, this site served as a private residence and tavern as well as the seat of county government. In the early years of the nineteenth century, the building housed the Dresden Post Office. Students tour three floors of period rooms and learned about the extensive and varied history of this unique site. The 70 acre property also offers beautiful views and an extensive trail system.
Time: Approximately 75 minutes
Fee: Free of charge to Lincoln County schools and home school groups
Address: 23 Court House Road, Dresden
LCHA also offers a special tour program that includes a visit to both the Pownalborough Court House and the 1811 Old Jail. See details below.
Before the Judges
“Before the Judges” offers a window into the legal system of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Students conduct a mock trial in the 1761 court room of the Pownalborough Court House in Dresden. In preparation for the trial, Louise Miller visits the classroom to provide information on the case to be heard, the legal system of the time, and the vocabulary that might be used by the students when they prepare their evidence. Teachers and students decide on the division of roles, such as judges, witnesses, jury, etc.. At the conclusion of the trial, the class visits the 1811 Old Jail in Wiscasset to learn more about the workings of the legal system.
Tours of the Court House and the Old Jail and Jailer’s House are included.
Please note: When arranging for this program, time is factored in for students to have a snack and lunch.
The court room is located on the second floor of the Court House. Please advise us if you have a student with special physical needs.
Time: Introduction by LCHA representative – 45 minutes
Court House visit and mock trial – 90 minutes
Old Jail visit – 45 minutes
Fee: $250CCSS.ELA-LITERCY.SL.4.1,4.3,4.4, 5.1, 5.3, 5.4, 6.1, 6.3, 6.4. CCSS ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1, 6-8.2, 6-8.4, 6-8.8
17th Century Lincoln County
A trip to Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site introduces students to various aspects of seventeenth century daily life along the mid-coast, as well as the archeology work done in this area. The LCHA Education Department works in partnership with Colonial Pemaquid to provide this special field trip to schools. The program runs for approximately two hours and is free for schools. Offered in May and June, call Louise Miller at 207-790-8163 or email education@lincolncountyhistory.org to arrange a date for your visit. Space is limited.
We are happy to send reminder notices in the spring as well!
MLR Social Studies Grades 4 & 5, History 1; Grades 6-8, History 1, FI, F2. Enduring Themes: Diversity, Continuity & Change over Time.
