The Ellsworth Historical Society

04/28/2026

Come out this Saturday for a Jane’s Walk, or two or 7!

04/13/2026

Thank you Heart of Ellsworth for making this possible through getting downtown Ellsworth on the National Register of Historic Places!

What if restoring an old building could actually pay off?

Historic Tax Credits (HTCs) are powerful tools that make it more affordable to bring historic buildings back to life.

In Maine, projects can combine:
✔️ 20% Federal Historic Tax Credit
✔️ 25% (or more!) Maine State Historic Tax Credit
That means up to ~45% of eligible rehab costs can be covered.

The result? Revitalized downtowns, new housing and business space, & preservation of the buildings that define our community! Business and building owners will receive more information in the coming weeks about how the Historic Designation unlocks these resources and what projects are eligible.

04/06/2026

Please join us for the Historical Society's annual meeting next Monday at 7 p.m. Our special Facebook friend Chris Bartol ("Clocks By Christopher," a major sponsor of the Society) will be talking about his meticulous, years-long renovation of the much-storied Whitney house. It's across the street at the Chamberlain-Whitney house, so space is limited.

04/03/2026

Congratulations Heart of Ellsworth for getting this nomination accomplished! What a feat for Downtown Ellsworth! So deserved!

Ellsworth’s downtown district is now designated on the National Register of Historic Places, a list of the country’s “historic places worthy of preservation.”

03/21/2026

Old Jail in the news again!

ELLSWORTH -- Despite the Old Hancock County Sheriff's Home and Jail not being in use for around 50 years, the work to preserve its history refuses to be frozen in

03/19/2026

How wonderful to finally meet Anne Ball of Maine Downtown Center! She oversees the subgrant program of the National Park Service Paul Bruhn Historic Preservation Fund which we were granted to rehabilitate the windows, doors and porches of the Old Jail! Come back soon, Anne!

MDC was in Ellsworth yesterday. Our first stop was the The Ellsworth Historical Society who is a grant recipient from the REvitalizeME Downtown Grant, a sub grant program MDC is administering from the National Park Service Paul Bruhn Historic Preservation Fund. The grant will be rehabilitating the windows, doors and porches in the Old County Jail and Sheriffs house.

03/11/2026

Thank you Maine Biz for you coverage of our grant award. This work will make a huge visual
impact bringing the woodworking back! Thank you MDF!

Funds will be used to rehabilitate the Old Hancock County Sheriff’s Home and Jail, a 19th-century building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

03/03/2026

One of the projects the Research Committee of the Historical Society (chaired by Mary Blackstone) is working on is "neighborhoods." At the same time, there's a push by city government to study and restore the character of these communities, some of which (such as Ellsworth Falls) were 100% independent (defined as school, church, and post office). We'd love to hear from you about the Ellsworth neighborhood you grew up in: the people, their homes, the local shops and churches, etc. Send an email to [email protected] (That's my mom at her grammar school graduation in Ellsworth Falls ... you'll have to guess which one she is!)

03/01/2026

There's still time to sign-up for tomorrow evening's presentation by UMaine's Liam Riordan. His title is "What Should We Remember about Our Past as a Nation and a State? From the Declaration of Independence to Maine Statehood." Remember, folks, the 250th anniversary of our country is only a few months away (winter will end, I promise)! So, let's think July. Shorts and beach chairs!

Email me for the Zoom link: [email protected]

Send a message to learn more

02/11/2026

Fun for a snowy evening: identify the ladies in the Old Jail from this circa early 1980s photo.