Page Farm and Home Museum Receives Grant to Preserve Collections

Contact: Patty Henner, 581-4100

ORONO — UMaine’s Page Farm and Home Museum has received a $1,822.03 grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission to relocate, preserve and provide better access to its historical records collections.

The grant comes from through the Historical Records Collections Grant Program, administered by the Maine Historical Records Advisory Board, and coordinated by the State Archives.

“Grants such as this support community efforts to protect the stories of our birth, property rights, government, and how we live our lives,” says state archivist Dave Cheever. “People need to document their birth or naturalization to obtain a passport or to get medical care; others research their property boundaries; some seek long-lost relatives or to understand the history of the old saw mill down the road. Without these precious records, most questions like this would remain unanswered.”

Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap says a recent report to the Maine Legislature indicates that many of Maine’s historical collections, which include some 200 million photographs, paintings, natural history collections and letters, are in danger of being lost to fire, theft, mold or misuse. Surveys show that local governments, historical societies and libraries are seeking help to preserve the state’s heritage, says Dunlap, whose office oversees the Maine State Archives.

According to Patricia Henner, Page Farm and Home Museum director, the grant will enable the museum to relocate its records collections into sound archive-quality storage facilities and to make the collection more accessible to researchers.

Information about Page Farm and Home Museum programs is available at its website.