CASTINE, Maine — Henry Wiswell and Judith Frost Gillis will give an illustrated presentation on the history of Barbour’s Boatyard and the family who created it 2-3:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 23, at the Wilson Museum’s Hutchins Education Center, 112 Perkins St.
Barbour’s Boatyard was well-known for producing beautiful steamboats. Although Barbour’s Boatyard was located in Brewer, connections can be made to Castine’s history as well. One of the most well-known connections is the Cimbria, a steamboat made by the boatyard which made frequent stops in Castine.
Wiswell, the great-grandson of Capt. Samuel Barbour who started the boatyard, has worked to preserve and share his family’s history. He is a local historian and owner of the Wiswell Farm and Greenhouses, a working family farm. He is vice-president of the Orrington Historical Society and has served as president of the organization in the past. Wiswell and his daughter are the sixth and seventh generations to reside at Wiswell Farm. The farm was established in 1772 and is the only home in Orrington that is still occupied by descendants of the town’s first settlers.
Judith Frost Gillis is the president of the Orrington Historical Society and works with Wiswell and Orrington history.
For information, contact the Wilson Museum at 326-9247 or info@wilsonmuseum.org.