
THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
OF WELLS AND OGUNQUIT
PRESERVING THE PAST FOR TWO MAINE TOWNS
Event Calendar
Visit our Video Archive for recordings of previous programs and events.
Mystery Monday!
So you think you know Wells and Ogunquit? We like to post a variety of challenging questions on our Facebook page. Here is the latest one:
​
Historically, in New England, people often bartered and traded for goods, services, and food. Subsistence living and farming were common, and this produced many useful items for trade.
When people paid for their store-bought goods through trade, what was this sometimes called?
​
Scroll to the bottom to see the answer.
Mornings at the Museum
Children's Programs - Free!
​​
Bring the kids for Mornings at the Museum, where they can enjoy a fun program of stories, activities, a scavenger hunt, and a craft to take home. Every program has a unique theme... and admission is free!


Sponsored By
-
Thursday May 11
-
Thursday June 8
-
Thursday July 20
-
Thursday August 10
-
Thursday September 14
-
Saturday October 14
-
Saturday December 9
Holiday Market at the Meetinghouse
Sunday, December 10, 9 am to 2 pm
938 Post Road (US Route 1) in Wells
Free Admission
​
Join us for our Holiday Market at the Meetinghouse as part of Ogunquit's festive Christmas by the Sea weekend. Browse all the wonderful local vendors for crafts and other goodies, and enjoy hot cocoa and snacks. And our historic 1862 Meetinghouse is the perfect spot to watch the start of the Wells Christmas Parade at 2:00pm.
​

Millennium Granite Quarry Tour
Spring 2024
50 Quarry Road in Wells
$10 members, $12 non-members
-
Space is limited -- Reservations required
-
Please contact us to reserve your spot
​
Back by popular demand! Please join us for a fascinating walking tour of the Millennium Granite quarry on (where else?) Quarry Road in Wells. Granite is one of New England’s iconic building and memorial stones, and this Wells quarry has supplied many important projects around the nation. Come along and learn about its history, operations, and impact on architecture, both near and far. (And be sure to wear comfortable shoes!)
Wells has been known as a regional source of granite since the 19th century. Builders and craftspeople first identified areas of exposed granite ledge, called “motions,” which could be accessed in local hillsides. Slabs of granite were removed from these ledges using hand tools, leaving distinctive marks which can still be seen in local foundations and stone walls today.
​
Formerly known as the Quarry at Bald Hill, and first owned by both the Swenson and Miniutti families, the Millennium Granite quarry opened in the early 20th century. Newly developed power tools and machinery vastly improved quarrying operations, and the business employed local residents for decades.
Known for its colorful pink hue, this high-quality granite can be found in many landmarks nationwide, including the Pentagon, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Statler hotel in Washington, DC, and the Tiffany and DePinna stores in New York City.


Learn about the rich history of Wells quarries and see how Millennium Granite Quarry & Stoneworks provides superior uncommon soft-pink granite and other fine stones to architects, landscape architects and designers across the country.

The Ancient Ones: Paleoindian Life in Wells
Linda Littlefield Grenfell
Spring 2024
At the Meetinghouse (938 Post Road in Wells)
Members $10, Non-members $12
-
Cash or check at the door
-
Reservations not required
​
Join us at the Meetinghouse as Linda Littlefield Grenfell tells us about the Paleoindians who first populated this area 10,000 years ago. Archaeological evidence at numerous sites statewide, including the Spiller Farm Paleoindian Site in Wells, hints at what life might have been like for these earliest Native peoples.
Ms. Grenfell is the Environmental Educator at Wells Reserve. For information about her presentation, please contact us. We hope to see you there!
Woodies in the Cove
August 2024 (Date to be announced), 8:30 am to 2:00 pm
974 Post Road (US Route 1) in Wells
​
Our 2023 show was a big success and we're already looking forward to next year! In the meantime, we encourage you to visit our sponsors and thank them for their support. The Woodies show is our biggest fundraiser of the year and we couldn't do it without our generous sponsors throughout the community. Click here for the list of sponsors!
Warrior Sports Through the Years
At the Meetinghouse, date to be determined
​
Join us as we team up (pun intended!) with the Wells High School Alumni Association to present a fun and fascinating program tracing the history of school sports in Wells and Ogunquit. Do you have any photos, stories, or newspaper clippings that you're willing to share for the program? If so, please contact us. Thank you!

Mystery Monday!
And the answer is...
​
Common Pay, or Country Pay.