CASTINE—Be prepared for a tour through time and cultures as you enter the Wilson Museum complex, a series of four buildings begun in 1921 by geologist and anthropologist J. Howard Wilson to house collections gathered around the world and close to home. Here you will see rocks and fossils from the earliest geologic times and will follow humankind’s advances in tool-making from pre-history through Castine’s rich local history. Wend your way across continents and among indigenous cultures viewing displays from Africa, the Americas and Bali, to name just a few.
In the John Perkins House, step back in time to colonial Castine, once claimed by four nations, to learn about the Perkins family. As one of the town’s earliest settlers and businessmen, John Perkins experienced all the trials and tribulations of those tumultuous times and flourished, building additions to his home, wharves and numerous vessels. A tour of this home is guided by a costumed docent. If you are lucky enough to be here on select Wednesdays and Sundays in July and August, you may even have the opportunity to sample food cooked over the open hearth in the kitchen. Visitors will learn that this home was moved to its present location in the late 1960s. Construction methods and artifacts help to show the evolution of the building.
A step back in time would not be complete without a visit to the Museum’s reproduced Blacksmith Shop. Here, on Wednesdays and Sundays in July and August, the blacksmith will demonstrate the tools and techniques of his trade. He might even allow you to pump the bellows for him while he makes a horseshoe. Once you’ve “shod the horses,” take a peek into the Hearse House to see examples of what those horses would have pulled—Castine’s summer and winter hearses from the 19th century.
There is so much to see here. One visit is never enough and doesn’t have to be. There are indoor and outdoor activities slated for the summer that expand upon the exhibits and displays, enticing visitors to return again and again. Along with many other programs you might attend, you can spend an afternoon immersed in African art, Native American music or join a three-day workshop recreating and pit-firing prehistoric pottery. A list of events and all their details can be viewed on the Museum’s user-friendly Web site www.wilsonmuseum.org, or you may call for information 207-326-9247. Classes and group tours by appointment are welcome. Wilson Museum is open daily from May 27 to September 30, from 2 to 5 p.m. John Perkins House, Blacksmith Shop and Hearse House are open Wednesdays and Sundays in July and August, from 2 to 5 p.m.
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