Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum
NileGuide Expert Says:
This museum offers fascinating insight into one of America's almost forgotten heroes.
Address:
226 Main Street
Brunswick, Maine 04011
Phone:
207-729-6606
NileGuide Expert tip:
The museum is open seasonally, usually after the Memorial Day holiday. Call ahead for hours and times.
Description:
Restored to prominence by the now landmark PBS series "The Civil War," General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is likely one of Maine's most historically significant figures. A visit to the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum (the general's former home) chronicles the famous military exploits of this professor of rhetoric from Bowdoin College who helped turn the tide of the Civil War in favor of the northern Union forces. Amazingly, the museum was once scheduled for demolition to make way for a fast food restaurant. Thanks to dedicated volunteers with the local Pejepscot Historical Society, however, the house is undergoing restoration. A tour of the home offers fascinating insight into the historic reclamation of a man who was almost lost to history (following the war, Chamberlain was largely discredited nationally for his respect of Southern forces as a fallen but worthy foe). For instance, visitors who view the officer's jacket worn by Chamberlain at the Battle of Gettysburg will learn that it had been stuffed away, nearly forgotten, in the attic of a neighbor's house. For a compelling lesson in history, be sure to put the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum on your "must see" list when touring mid-coast Maine.
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