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Historical artifacts find new home in Lewiston

The Androscoggin Historical Society boasts tens of thousands of pieces, and they'll soon have a new, permanent home

AUBURN, Maine — Tens of thousands of Maine artifacts are on the move — some in dramatic fashion.

Workers from The Cote Corporation used a crane to remove large display cases from the third floor of the county courthouse in Auburn Friday morning.

The Androscoggin Historical Society, celebrating its 100th year, has rented the floor for 86 years, but they’re moving to a newly bought downtown Lewiston location. 

Society President David Chittim said they could have as many as 100,000 pieces, most donated by locals.

"[It's] sometimes doing things as simple as cleaning out grandma’s attic or getting rid of their parents' garage, and they unearth things that are of great interest to us and, perhaps, of little interest to them, so, it ends up here," Chittim explained. "And we’ve got an olio of materials stretching back literally thousands of years."

Chittim said the new space will be much more like a museum than the courthouse, with themed exhibits and children-specific areas, all open to the public.

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