About

ABOUT US

Since 1961, the Farmington Historical Society has procured and preserved the history of Farmington, Maine and the surrounding communities. We’re a non-profit 501(c)3 organization providing research assistance, educational programming, events, and rental spaces to our local community.

We hold monthly meetings at the North Church, typically on the fourth Monday of each month, which are open to the public. The potluck begins at 6:00PM and the meeting and program at 7:00PM. If you’re interested in receiving updates about these meetings, we encourage you to follow us on Facebook. We also manage three buildings in Farmington’s downtown historic district: the Titcomb House Museum, North Church, and the Octagon house. You can find more information about each of the properties below.

TITCOMB HOUSE MUSEUM
118 Academy Street

Built circa 1846, the Titcomb House serves as the historical society’s home, museum, and research center. We have thousands of artifacts in our collection, ranging from photos, maps, and documents to carriages and sleighs.

The museum is open to the public on Fridays from 10am-2pm, May through October. You can contact us via our online form or by phone to arrange an appointment outside our normal hours. We welcome researchers, field trips, group tours, and more.

NORTH CHURCH
118 High Street

Built in 1873, the North Church is one of only two churches in downtown Farmington to survive the devastating 1886 fire. The church underwent significant renovation in 2013 and has reopened for community use. Both the meeting room and the audience room can be rented out for events.

Available for rent is the meeting room, which includes an industrial kitchen, bar and restrooms. It is located on the ground floor, making it an ideal space for accessibility. If you’re planning an event, you can learn more by checking out our rentals page or by contacting us via our online form.

The upstairs is the beautiful audience room and former sanctuary, which has remained untouched since 1915.

OCTAGON HOUSE
125 High Street

Also known as the Hiram Ramsdell House, the Octagon House was built in 1858 by a local brick yard owner. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of only 19 octagon houses left in Maine. The W.G. Mallett family occupied the house from 1912-2012. The house was purchased along with its contents by the historical society in 2013, keeping the historic atmosphere.

This architectural style was popular from 1850-1860’s as the angles allowed increased square footage for the same building price, as well as the philosophy of better heating/cooling with the central cupola. 

Renovation is ongoing and community involvement and fundraising continues. If you’re interested in renting the Octagon House for your function or event, please contact us or visit our rentals page.