Events & Exhibits
Our collections are available to the public during open hours and special tours. We also host lectures, concerts, and other live events.
The Age of Medicine & Midwifery
Guided hands-on activities will focus on keeping ‘cool’ and will help to better understand the role of women during colonial times.
Holidays of Early New England
Discover the historical origins of today’s major holidays, as well as others formerly observed in New England.
Colonial Dame School
Visitors will attend a colonial dame school, where you will read, do simple arithmetic, learn to sew, sing period music, and more.
Going to School in Colonial New England
‘Attend’ three kinds of post-Revolutionary schools, where you will practice skills to better understand the evolution of education.
Call Me Madam: A Visit with Clara Goodwin
Tour the Goodwin house from Clara Goodwin’s point of view. Participants will also take tea with “Madam” in 19th-century tradition.
A Day in the Life of an 18th Century Servant
Understand the nature of daily life among the servants who worked for the more ‘upper crust’ population of our area during the 18th century.
They Behaved Very Cleverly: Diaries, Letters & Journals as Clues to the Past
Learn how written primary sources (diaries, letters and journals) highlight the historical information that may be found in such documents.
To See if the Town: An 18th Century Town Meeting
We will investigate the town meeting minutes of April 7, 1794 — and you, the audience, will become the citizens of the town!
Josée Vachon
Franco-American singer Josée Vachon will be performing French Canadian rhythm and songs at the Sanford-Springvale Historical Museum on Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 3:00 PM.
Poets Reading
Mark you calendars for Sunday, April 27 at 3:00 PM for a Poets Reading, featuring Melissa Alipalo, Jeanne Bamforth, Jonathan Pessant, and Ruth Towne.
Volunteer Open House
The Sanford-Springvale Historical Society is in search of volunteers for our upcoming season. Help us make a difference in the community.
Southern Rail
Southern Rail will once again showcase their outstanding bluegrass musical abilities at the Sanford-Springvale Historical Museum on Sunday, April 13, 2025 at 3:00 PM.
Meet Queen Victoria
Presented by Sally Mummey. Using Queen Victoria's diary and letters, this program reveals the personal details of a powerful yet humane woman, who took seriously her role as monarch in a time of great expansion.
Laura Kargul & Callie Brennan
Pianist Laura Kargul and violinist Callie Brennan will perform at the Sanford-Springvale Historical Museum on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at 3:00 PM.
Cemetery Sleuthing
Presented by Erin Moulton. Join us as we learn the meaning behind cemetery iconography, abbreviations, epitaphs, and more.
Wit & Wisdom: 19th Century New England Humor
Presented by Jo Radner. Find out what New Englanders did on long winter evenings before cable, satellite and the internet.
New England Colonial Meeting Houses
Presented by Paul Wainwright. You’ll hear the story of the society that built and used New England’s colonial meetinghouses, and the lasting impact they have had on American culture.
Maine in the Civil War
Presented by Ashley Towle. This talk explores the lesser-known stories of white and Black Mainers who influenced the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Great Turnout of 1841: Maine Textile Workers Strike
Presented by Elizabeth DeWolfe. In this illustrated talk, we’ll explore the life of New England “factory girls,” the opportunities mill work brought, and the challenges of this difficult labor.
Banjos, Bones & Ballads
Jeff Warner kicks off our lecture series with traditional songs, rich in local history and a sense of place and presents the latest news from the distant past.
DaPonte String Quartet: Haydn & Korngold
The renowned DaPonte String Quartet will be returning to the Sanford-Springvale Historical Museum!
POSTPONED: Laura Kargul & Callie Brennan
Pianist Laura Kargul and violinist Callie Brennan will perform a Valentine’s program at the Sanford-Springvale Historical Museum on Sunday, February 16, 2025 at 3:00 PM.
Jingle & Mingle
Tour the historic Edmund E. Goodwin House decked out in Victorian decoration. Participate in a holiday crafting adventure. And listen to a reading from ’Twas the Night Before Christmas!
Sanford-Springvale Historical Museum Christmas Party
Come share your holiday spirit wearing your favorite Christmas attire at the Sanford-Springvale Historical Society Christmas party on December 5, 2024 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
Ilya Kazantsev & Sergey Antonov
Russian/American virtuosos Ilya Kazantsev and Sergey Antonov have performed piano and cello in some of the world’s greatest concert halls. On November 10 at 3:00 PM they will perform once again at the Sanford-Springvale Historical Museum. Be prepared for an afternoon of unparalleled music excellence!
Springvale’s Railroad Past
The colorful railroad era in Springvale will come alive in an upcoming slideshow and talk with speaker Jonathan Wells at the Sanford-Springvale Historical Society on Sunday, October 27 at 3:00 PM.
Bob Arsenault Watercolor Paintings Exhibit
Sanford-Springvale Historical Society has a new exhibit on display, featuring watercolors painted by local artist, Bob Arsenault.
Bob Arsenault Watercolor Paintings
Sanford-Springvale Historical Society will open a new exhibit featuring watercolors painted by local artist, Bob Arsenault, on Thursday, September 26, 2024 at 5:30 PM.
The Original Bucky Lew: Basketball’s First Black Professional
On Thursday, September 12 at 7:00 PM, Chris Boucher, author of The Original Bucky Lew: Basketball’s First Black Professional, will share photos and stories from Lew’s career.
Cedar Mountain Bluegrass Band
Cedar Mountain Bluegrass Band, a New England based group performing traditional and contemporary bluegrass music, returns to Springvale with a performance at the Sanford-Springvale Historical Museum!
DaPonte String Quartet: Mozart & Beethoven
The renowned DaPonte String Quartet will be returning for their second summer concert at the Sanford-Springvale Historical Museum!
DaPonte String Quartet with Marcus Thompson & Scott Kluksdahl
The renowned DaPonte String Quartet is set to enchant audiences with an unforgettable evening of chamber music, joined by esteemed guest artists Marcus Thompson on viola and Scott Kluksdahl on cello.
An Afternoon of French-Canadian Music
Back for a repeat performance, Don and Cindy Roy are sure to appeal to folks of Franco-American descent and others who enjoy authentic fiddling and keyboard/foot-tapping accompaniment.
Music for Cello and Piano - Sergey Antonov and Ilya Kazantsev
Cello/Piano Duo returns to Springvale on May 11th, 2024
Russian/American virtuosos Sergey Antonov and Ilya Kazantsev have performed in some of the world’s greatest concert halls including Moscow’s Rachmaninoff Hall and Saint Petersburg Philharmonia Hall. On May 11th, they will perform once again at the Sanford-Springvale Historical Museum. Both were child prodigies, having entered Tchaikovsky State Conservatory in Moscow before the age of 10.
Program Information:
Date: Saturday, May 11th, 2024
Doors Open: At 6:45 p.m.
Concert Starts: At 7:30 p.m.
Address: Historical Museum, 505 Main Street, Springvale
Price: $20.00 18 and older. Children are admitted at no charge.
Tickets: May be purchased at the door the night of the performance.
RESERVE TICKETS BY EMAIL: gcauger@me.com or call 207-651-1980
The Museum is Handicapped Accessible.
This concert is made possible by:
Law Offices of Charles Nickerson, Lawrence Furbish and Barbara Sutcliffe, Joseph Hanslip, Kennebunk Savings Bank, Nasson College Alumni Association, Dr. Albert and Bonnie Pollard, Estates of Stephen E. Eastman and Dr. Muriel A. Poulin.
Southern Rail
The Sanford-Springvale Historical Society is pleased to welcome back the acclaimed bluegrass group Southern Rail. Their performances are high-energy exuberant fun, with riveting harmonies, irrepressible humor and sparkling banjo, mandolin, and guitar solo work. Their recordings graced the Top Thirty Singles Chart of Bluegrass Unlimited for a combined total of 32 months. One of their earlier CD’s, a special Bluegrass Gospel compilation entitled Glory Train, was nominated for Best Gospel Recording of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. Southern Rail has been elected to the New England Foundation for the Arts to be included in their prestigious Touring Roster.
Portland Piano Trio
Since its critically-acclaimed Portland, Maine debut in 2016, the Portland Piano Trio’s “enlivening tautness and precision,” “impressive ensemble and shared musical values” have entertained and inspired audiences throughout New England. The group has appeared on numerous chamber music series, including Portsmouth Atheneum, Fox Islands Concerts, Electric Earth Concerts, Bay Chamber, and Machias Bay Chamber Music Festival. The trio is serving as the founding musicians-in-residence of 240 Strings, a Portland, Maine-based nonprofit supported by the National Endowment for the Arts dedicated to providing private music lessons to economically-challenged children in Portland and providing affordable community concerts. The trio has twice attended Avaloch Music Institute in Boscawen, New Hampshire, for a week of intense rehearsing and sharing with other nationally recognized chamber groups, and has served in residence at New England Music Camp. (www.portlandpianotrio.com)